No Matter What
by Ayns and Sky
Summary: Epic Puck/Sabrina story with older teen content.Suitable for teens, 13 years and older, with some violence, minor coarse language, and minor suggestive adult themes. Do NOT read if not suitable, or sensitive. Pre book5, AUish, EPIC. -FINISHED-
1. Kerdy

**Sky: HUGE EDIT OMG. I just found out all our scene skip asterisks vanished from the story. Can't find any. So all the scenes in the entire story are bleeding into each other. Please stand by while I go through and replace all the blank spots with *.*.*.*.*s. Goddamn it.**

Author's Notes: PLEASE READ, STORY DETAILS INSIDE

**Sky: **Edited from the previous A/N, leaving in story details only for this. We'll post the ramblings that used to be here on our profile or something. ^^

**1. This is epic. It's over 330 pages so far in a word document PRE-STORY EDIT. This means aside from the first 19 pages now, the rest has not been edited to flow together like a story. Also we are NOT DONE WITH THIS. AS OF CHAPTER 18 WE'RE ESTIMATING HALFWAY DONE.**

**2. This will take on darker tones. Graphic violence, character death, implied rape, time-meddling, angst, betrayal, the works. And before you panic, most of the bad things that happen may or may not be changed by time-meddling. Still, if you can't handle any of the things I just listed, turn back NOW.**

**3. This story is centered on Puck and Sabrina. Other characters will be in it obviously, but the story will fluctuate to either one of them more often than not. Most times, this'll be Sabrina's narrations or scenes, seeing as how I play her and Ayns plays Puck, but I'm the chief editor in piecing this thing together as a story.**

**4. We enjoy love. If you like this story and want us to get more out faster, encourage us. Like puppies. Or whores. I don't care which, just give us love and we'll work faster to get more chapters out. We love feedback, e-mails, reviews, etc. Well, I know I do.**

**Ayns: **Squeeeeee ^^ Puppies! Yes, feedback is muchly appreciated, we enjoy having our egos inflated, it gives us so much more motivation!

:3 So we really hope that you enjoy our little corner of crazy and wonderful Puck/Sabrina-ness, because we definitely do! And I'll be back in town very soon so with any luck there will be even more (and more and more and more) to come!

**Sky: Wrapping it up now, expect drama, fluff, angst, owtfness, Puck/Sabrina, William/Snow, Jake/Briar, of course Henry/Veronica, implied OC/Daphne (she's like 7! Chill out, it's only implied until she grows up.) and more. This story takes place after book 4, before book 5, but acts as if Charming never lost the election to the Queen of Hearts. That'll be exlpained later, and we've also deleted certain characters from the story for now. For instance, we love Beauty and the Beast. Not going by what MB decided for them in his books. Pretend some other crazy people had a kid that tried to eat Sabrina.**

**Also, SPOILERS possibly for ALL books regardless of A/U. We're pretty A/U past book four. XD**

Thank you, and enjoy! (Also, we really appreciate reviewers who review each chapter to let us know how they liked it. ^^)

***.*.*.*.***

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter One: Kerdy _**

***.*.*.*.***

"Girls!" Relda Grimm's voice rang up from the direction of the kitchen. "Breakfast is ready!"

This was followed by the scent of whatever said breakfast was, wafting in underneath the closed door of Sabrina and Daphne's room and to the noses of the two girls inside.

Daphne sniffed the air, then rolled over on the bed, not quite waking up. The smell grew stronger as the food simmered a bit more, and Daphne's stomach gave a growl of interest at the scent.

"Daphne, wake up," The blonde girl did not look amused. In fact she looked tired. She didn't want to go to school, she didn't want to deal with whatever horrible prank was going to be heading her way, and she wasn't sure she was going to enjoy breakfast anyway.

Sabrina reached for her sister, shaking her. _'Yeesh, she sleeps like a log,' _she thought to herself, shaking a bit harder. Not much had changed for the little girl since coming to Ferryport Landing the previous year… Had it already been a year?

Between troll attacks, angry Everafters trying to blow up the barrier, nearly losing a friend in a school collapsing, finding out they had an uncle, fighting a Jabberwocky, finding out about Everafters in New York, and searching for a way to wake her parents up now that they had them back, Sabrina wasn't really keeping track of time.

Her birthday was coming up soon—another birthday her parents would miss. The thought put a bit more anger in Sabrina, and she tried not to think about it anymore. Not like her getting angry had ever helped the situation, except when it came to dealing with Puck.

She gave Daphne another little shake when the girl failed to respond. How Veronica Grimm had always woken them both up easily, she would never know.

Daphne rolled over onto her back, flinging her arms out to the sides. She mumbled something indefinable, stirring at the shaking but not opening her eyes. Her mouth had opened slightly while she'd slept.

Sabrina sighed in exasperation, scowling for a moment. While she could have easily headed down without the little girl, Daphne would just end up annoyed with her and probably late for school. Why had she decided making sure Daphne was up and ready in the morning was her responsibility? Probably instinctual from when they hadn't had the option of anyone else caring.

Sabrina exhaled, some of her hair fluttering out of the way with the motion. Then she put her face next to her little sister's ear. "WAKE UP, DAPHNE!"

Daphne startled awake, opening her eyes and blinking owlishly up at her sister. "What?" she asked, her ears ringing slightly from Sabrina's voice. She brought her hand up and rubbed the ear that had been closest to the verbal assault.

"It's breakfast time and then we have to go to school," Sabrina said. "So hurry and get up."

"Breakfast?" Daphne asked, perking up at the word. She sat up in bed and yawned, stretching. Her black hair was sticking out, in dire need of a brush, and she looked like she'd spent the night rolling around the bed.

Her stomach growled again. "I'm hungry," Daphne said, waking up far too quickly for someone who had been as sound asleep as she had been just a moment ago.

Sabrina headed from the room, grabbing a brush and running it through her long blonde hair as she walked. She had worn a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved blue shirt that was very thin and tight underneath a cute looking purple vest that fit her slender form. Her hair was getting longer, something she really liked.

Sabrina figured Daphne would catch up, and she shoved the brush into her backpack when she got to the table for breakfast. One problem with long hair was that it tended to tangle even if you were just sitting still and minding your own business. For this reason (and because Puck was constantly pulling pranks that made her appearance resemble a soggy puppy) Sabrina always had a brush on hand. "Good morning," she said quietly.

"Good morning, _liebling_," Relda said, dishing out the breakfast - which looked like a cross between an apple pie, a casserole, and sausage - onto Sabrina's plate. "Is your sister coming down?"

Elvis was looking up at Relda hopefully, but everyone knew better than to give him anything involving sausage. That didn't prevent him from trying, though.

There was another person at the table already - Puck, dressed and ready for school, was shoveling food into his mouth so fast that it didn't seem like he could possibly be tasting it. "Mmph ffwoo shof," he said around a mouthful of food.

"Yes Granny--and what?" Sabrina asked, unable to help herself. She hadn't translated Puck's words at _all. _And she wasn't sure she was going to actually try to eat the food, it made her stomach twist just looking at it. That was pretty common to her. She wasn't sure she'd ever get used to the taste of Granny Relda's cooking.

Puck swallowed his mouthful, and reached for another helping as he did so. "I said, good morning, Grimm," he said - which, of course, sounded nothing like what it had sounded like due to the amount of food he'd had in his mouth.

"Oh. Good morning, Puck," she replied automatically, reaching for a glass of juice. She took her seat regardless of whether or not she planned to have anything to eat, then twisted, making sure Daphne was actually coming.

At that moment, Daphne darted into the room, dressed for school with her hair hastily done. "Ooo, it smells great, Granny!" she said enthusiastically, pulling out her chair and plopping herself down to get some breakfast. "Morning, Puck."

Puck grinned as he ate. "Morning, marshmallow," he said, shoveling more food in his mouth. He was already on this third serving.

Sabrina tried one bite of the food, then grimaced. She forced a grin. "Uh. yeah, tastes great. I'm not really hungry though. I think I'll just get a head start walking to school."

The longer of a head start she had, the less likely it was for Puck to do something horrible to her. He rarely pulled appearance altering pranks in school, and William Charming had threatened bodily harm to all of them if the brand new schools had any kind of vandalism. So far, Puck had limited the pranks and defacing of public property to a minimum.

Puck looked down at his plate. "But I'm not done eating," he said, looking back up at her a moment later.

Relda looked at Sabrina in concern. "Are you feeling all right, Sabrina?" she asked.

"Just feeling a little under the weather," Sabrina answered Relda with a shrug. "And no one said you had to go with me, Puck. I can walk by myself just fine, thank you very much."

Puck snorted, moving to stand up. "Yeah, right," he said. "You go without me and you'll end up falling in a hole somewhere and need me to get you out."

"Trust me I wouldn't hold my breath," Sabrina shot at him, turning away so he wouldn't see her flustered. "Besides, you should wait for Daphne, she's not old enough to walk alone like I am."

"I am too!" Daphne protested, looking at Sabrina. She scrambled to her feet, still holding her plate so that she could keep eating.

Sabrina rolled her eyes. "Okay but either way I'm done eating and you're not. I'm going to head out now, Granny."

Without waiting for an answer, she picked up her backpack and headed for the door.

"Have a good day, dear," Relda said, still concerned for Sabrina, especially since she was saying she was feeling under the weather.

Puck stared after Sabrina for a moment, then inhaled the rest of his plate. "See ya, old lady," he said to Relda. He walked around the table and ruffled Daphne's hair, making the parts that weren't in braids stick out. "Don't take too long, marshmallow."

Daphne giggled, grinning at Puck as she devoured the rest of her breakfast.

When she finished eating her breakfast and grabbed her bag, she made a rush for the door. "Come on, Puck!" she called over her shoulder. "Bye, Granny! Bye, Elvis!"

Elvis wagged his tail, still looking longingly at the leftovers as Relda called good-bye to Daphne and Puck.

Puck fell into step alongside Daphne, shoving his hands into his pockets. He'd had a few things in store for Sabrina that morning, but not only had it taken her longer to come down to breakfast, but she'd left before them. Oh, well - he'd have to make up for it later. First they had to catch up with Sabrina.

***.*.*.*.***

Sabrina was silent as she left the house, the shadow of a grin leaving her face. She should have been jumping for joy. Not a single prank, she looked normal for once, and her hair was not a mess of goo or slime.

Then again, she was still stuck in Ferryport Landing, she was all alone in the way she felt, her parents weren't getting better, and the ideals of her mother that she'd held onto for so long were ruined. It still bothered her in the back of her mind if she had enough time to just stop and think about it.

While she had decided to stay and be a Detective with her sister, she still didn't necessarily want to be stuck there her whole life. She wanted the freedom to be able to leave whenever she wanted without having everyone look down on her or call her a quitter. She hated feeling caged—and honestly, she knew that must have been how the Everafters felt, and knew that was why they resented her family… But the feeling was mutual and she still resented most of them right back.

And her parents...

She sighed in frustration and walked faster. It didn't help that things with Puck were still confusing. She prided herself on being more mature than most girls her age, so why was the polar opposite on the maturity scale the one who kept making her feel giddy? It couldn't have just been his looks, plenty of people were cute and she kept her cool around them.

"Hey--Sabrina Grimm, right?"

Sabrina looked up, startled. She found herself staring up at a handsome looking boy, probably thirteen or fourteen. He had perfect gold hair, blue eyes, and a dazzling smile. There was something very good-natured about him, and he had several inches of height on Sabrina. "Y-yes," she said, stammering. "How did you know?"

He grinned down at her. "I'm an Everafter," he explained. "So I know of you. My name is Kerdy, and no I'm not from The Goblin and the Princess."

She found herself blushing. "I didn't assume," she shifted awkwardly. An Everafter? Her first reaction should have been distrust, but he seemed really nice. And it wasn't like he hid it from her the way others had… "I don't think I know that one anyway."

"It's not a real one," he said, tucking some hair behind his ear. She'd slowed to walk to his pace. "My parents are the Everafters really, but that's not important. I never saw you at school, you're younger than me right?"

"Almost twelve," Sabrina answered, feeling a little embarrassed to be reminded that she was still considered a little kid. What if he was hundreds of years old and didn't age?

"I'm fourteen." He gave her the dazzling smile again, and she relaxed a bit. "I didn't think you'd be walking to school by yourself. You have a sister right?"

"Yeah," Sabrina shifted awkwardly. She and Daphne hadn't been walking to school as much lately, even though Daphne had forgiven her for any of the problems they'd had in New York. "She and Puck'll be catching up."

"Oh man, THE Puck?" Kerdy grinned. "Sorry to hear that. Is he as bad as the rumors? I've never met him but I've heard." He straightened his short-sleeved polo shirt, and for a moment, Sabrina forgot the question. Then she tore her eyes from his cuteness and looked straight ahead.

"Worse," she made a face, thinking to the last prank. He'd replaced her soap with itching cream in bar form. That had sucked.

"Hey, ugly!" Puck's voice rang out as he and Daphne caught up to Sabrina. "You walk a lot faster than I thought you would."

Daphne dashed up to stand next to Sabrina, looking at Kerdy curiously.

Puck was looking at Kerdy, too. He didn't recognize him. Who was this kid?

When Kerdy glanced to Sabrina, she sighed. "That's Puck."

Kerdy glanced at Puck, then shrugged, uninterested. He looked to Sabrina and smiled. "You didn't tell me he was blind. I mean, he just called you Ugly."

Sabrina opened her mouth to respond and found that she couldn't. Her face was red and she looked embarrassed. Was Kerdy really complimenting her? Was he flirting?

Daphne's eyes widened, and she looked at Kerdy, then at her sister, then at Puck. Then back to Kerdy. She looked like she was at a tennis tournament.

Puck's mouth fell open. "Did you just call me _blind?_" he asked incredulously. "Do you have any idea who you're talking to, you...you peasant!"

Kerdy laughed. He put a hand on Sabrina's shoulder. "Wanna sit with me at lunch today?" He completely ignored Puck's indignant reaction.

Sabrina's blush only got worse. "Wha?" she managed a syllable, though it made little sense. Kerdy kept smiling, not at all bothered by the fact that Puck didn't seem to like him, or that Sabrina couldn't seem to speak.

Puck was bristling, and he decided then and there that he didn't like Kerdy's smile. He moved forward. "Just who do you think you are, kid?" he asked haughtily.

"I'm Kerdy," he said with a grin at Puck. He looked to Daphne next. "Daphne, right? Nice to meet you. I'm an Everafter kinda."

Sabrina stumbled, then straightened, no longer blushing wordlessly. "Uh, yeah, Kerdy that's my sister Daphne. Daphne, Kerdy," she introduced.

Daphne's eyes lit up, as Puck gritted his teeth at the sight of Kerdy's smile still in place. "You're an Everafter?" she asked brightly.

"Yep," Kerdy smiled back down at her. It was a dazzling, pure smile. "More like my parents are, but I count too or something. I was just getting to know Sabrina. You can sit with us too if you want," he winked at her. It wasn't often a handsome boy would chat with a girl half his age without teasing her.

Daphne's eyes widened further, and she could feel herself blushing as she stared up at Kerdy. "Really?" she asked. She looked at Sabrina, then back at Kerdy. "So who are your parents?"

He grinned. "That's a secret. I'm sure the famous Detectives Grimm can figure it out though."

Sabrina shoved her hands in her pockets. Kerdy was probably one of the nicest Everafters she'd ever met. And he was incredibly cute. What was the catch? How long before he turned out to be the enemy, or decided he didn't want to talk to a Grimm?

Daphne's eyes were shining at the prospect of figuring out who Kerdy's parents were. If only she had some clues…

Puck scowled at Kerdy. Just who did this guy think he was, being so nice to Sabrina and Daphne? "Dunno why you'd want to get to know her," Puck said. "She's got a rotten personality. Although she's a lot of fun to tease." He shoved his hands into his pockets.

Sabrina scowled over at Puck. "If my personality's so rotten, you should stay away from me then," she said in a huff. Why did he have to embarrass her in front of Kerdy?

Kerdy shook his head with a chuckle, glancing to Puck while they walked.

"And why would I go and do that?" Puck countered. "You'd probably _like_ that, so I see it as my duty to stick around and annoy you to no end." He scowled right back at her.

"Ugh!" Sabrina threw her hands up in frustration. She started walking faster again, muttering under her breath.

Kerdy glanced at Puck. "So... Do you like her?"

Then she nearly tripped, remembering the kiss, and the moments she'd shared with Puck since. She desperately wanted to hear the answer, but at the same time, she didn't. What if it was a bad answer? She almost sped up to avoid hearing it all together.

Puck stared at Kerdy. "_Like_ her?" he asked incredulously, his voice cracking as he spoke. "What are you talking about?"

Daphne had to cover her mouth to suppress her giggle.

"You know, do you have any intentions on dating her?" Kerdy asked. "Do you have a crush on her?"

Sabrina didn't bother saying anything. She decided to give it three more seconds before she'd run away.

Puck was definitely sputtering. "Who in their right mind would want to date _her?_" he asked, looking at Kerdy as if he were insane.

Kerdy grinned at the answer. As long as he wasn't stepping into Puck's territory...

As Sabrina opened her mouth to snap, she found herself staring again. Because Kerdy's answer was "Me."

Daphne's eyes widened, and she was back to watching the tennis match.

Puck stared at Kerdy. "Say _what?_" He couldn't believe what he had just heard Kerdy say.

Kerdy turned back to Sabrina. "Sorry if that's forward of me."

_'Whoa whoa whoa!' _Sabrina's eyes lit up. "Not at all. I mean, it's not forward. I've never been on a date." She fiddled with her hair shyly. All thoughts of Puck's answer had officially flown out the window by now.

"Want to go on one after school?" Kerdy asked. "We can grab something to eat at a diner, or go to the park."

"Wow! Sure!" Sabrina said. She felt _awesome._"You've got to be kidding me," Puck said, staring at them. "You've got to be insane or something. You want to go out on a date with that?" He pointed at Sabrina, looking incredulous.

"Oh shut up, Puck," Sabrina said, barely even listening to him. Nothing could ruin her good mood now.

They reached the school soon after. Kerdy took Sabrina's hand and kissed it softly, then did the same for Daphne. With a kind wave, he headed off.

Daphne watched Kerdy go with wide eyes, biting her hand for a moment. Then she released it and looked at Sabrina. "Are you really going to go out with him?" she asked.

"Yeah!" Sabrina looked at Daphne, excited. "Finally, something good happens around this place. I'd have to be an idiot not to go!" Her mind was racing with happier thoughts—instead of wondering when Kerdy would turn out to be an enemy or part of the Scarlet Hand, she was now thinking about all the things she wanted to do for a date.

"Or you're an idiot to go," Puck said snidely, interrupting her happy thoughts. "Or maybe you're just an idiot period."

Sabrina turned to Puck and scowled. "What, jealous?" she jeered. "That's what a real boy should look like, and smell like. Shove off, Stinkpot."  
She whirled on her heel and headed into the school with her nose up.

"Who would be jealous over an ugly cockroach like you?" Puck snapped after her, his eyes narrowed.

He spun around on his heel and stalked off, having absolutely no taste for going into the school building at that moment.

Daphne's eyes widened as she looked after Puck, then after Sabrina. A moment later she hurried after her sister.

***.*.*.*.***

Sabrina ended up sitting with Kerdy at lunch like he'd suggested, and he even let Daphne sit with them. He figured if he was going to get to know Sabrina he should get in good with Daphne too. Which was why when school ended, he offered to give Daphne a piggyback ride when he walked them home. From there, he planned to take Sabrina out for some fun.

Kerdy was like the perfect little gentleman.

Daphne looked like she was having a great time as she held onto Kerdy during the piggyback ride. "Wow, Kerdy," she said. "You're really nice. But I still haven't been able to figure out who your parents are." Never one to turn down a good Everafter mystery, it had been on Daphne's mind all day.

"It's not exactly a well known story," he joked. "Don't worry about it." He'd given her a few clues involving reindeer and red shoes.

When they got to the house, he set Daphne down. "Same time tomorrow morning?" he asked her with a grin. He planned on walking with them again.

"Sure!" Daphne said, accepting it before Sabrina could. "That would be fantastico!" She looked at Sabrina. "Do you want me to tell Granny you're going out?"

Sabrina tossed her backpack into the yard--she'd get it later. She didn't want to go inside in case Puck had a prank that would ruin her look for her date. Of Puck, there had been no sign of for the entire day - he'd skipped school after walking off.

"Please," Sabrina said. "I'll be home later, kay?" She smiled at Daphne, looking happier than she had since... Well, since she'd realized Puck was coming back with them to Ferryport Landing.

Daphne nodded. "Okay," she said. She looked at Sabrina, then at Kerdy, and then giggled. Sabrina _did_ look happy - and Kerdy _was_ nice.

***.*.*.*.***

Kerdy's attitude hadn't been a fluke. He had taken Sabrina on three dates, but all throughout school, he hung out with her and even Daphne. The kids in his age range seemed to scoff at the idea of a ninth grader hanging out with a sixth grader and a second grader, but he brushed it off with his good-natured smile.

By the end of the week, Sabrina wasn't sure if she was incredibly happy or incredibly depressed. Puck's pranks had gotten worse, to the point of sometimes making her cry in secret with her parents. It normally took a lot more to make her cry, and she hoped it was just a combination of hormones and hopelessness over her parents' condition.

Kerdy was incredibly sweet about the fact that her hair was usually gooey and sticking straight up, she had turned blue for a day, she smelled like a stink bomb a few times, fart noises seemed to come from her all throughout the school day once, she had buckteeth from some kind of prank potion for two days, and almost all of her clothes were either way too small or way too big.

It was a fresh Monday, and Sabrina was eternally grateful to Daphne's obsession with her hair. They'd managed to fix everything but her clothing dilemma for the time being, and Sabrina was avoiding Puck like the plague.

Thankfully she had avoided the pranks so far that day, wearing her too-small skirt with her too-small t-shirt. Her midriff was showing, and the skirt cut off above her knees. She was talking to Kerdy, who had something he needed to go to that day instead of walking them home. Daphne was waiting for her, a little sad that Kerdy wouldn't be joining.

Puck was nearby--Sabrina was praying he wasn't planning a prank.

"I'll see you later," Kerdy said to Sabrina, turning and leaving with a smile once they'd finished talking. He could tell she was wary of Puck's pranks.

"See ya," she mumbled, tugging her shirt down a bit.

Daphne looked at Sabrina, staying back a bit to give Kerdy and Sabrina some privacy. It was too bad that Kerdy wasn't walking home with them that day, he was always offering her piggyback rides and quizzing her on less-known fairytales. He'd even given Daphne a huge book of fairytales from around the world, with stars next to the ones that were really real.

Puck was leaning against the wall near the exit of the school, watching Sabrina out of the corner of his eye. He didn't happen to be planning a prank at that moment. Seeing Kerdy and Sabrina together just left a bad taste in his mouth. It was unlike any other reaction he'd had to Sabrina Grimm. He just didn't like her attention being on someone else when it should have been on him.

After Kerdy left, Sabrina sighed and headed towards Daphne. A sudden breeze blew by, dust getting her right in the face. "Ack!" She immediately coughed and started rubbing her eyes.

"Here," a girl offered her a handkerchief. "You should be careful."

"Thanks," Sabrina muttered, taking it and rubbing at her eyes. Then she winced. "Ow...! I think I just made it worse!" The sting had gone from annoying to sharp and sudden.

Daphne hurried over to Sabrina. "Are you okay?" she asked worriedly. "What's wrong?"

"I got something in my eye," Sabrina said, sounding irritated and pained. "Stupid dust..." She pulled the handkerchief back, then looked up, blinking rapidly. "Ow... Sorry..." She handed it back to the other girl.

The girl pushed her snowy white hair back. It was platinum blonde, and her smooth skin seemed pale, yet delicate. All in all, the girl was very lovely, and someone Sabrina, Daphne, and Puck had never seen before. "Don't worry about it. You should check your eyes when you get home, it's pretty dusty out here."

Sabrina nodded, rubbing her eyes again. "Let's go, Daphne." The sting had reduced itself to a dull annoyance.

Daphne nodded, reaching for Sabrina's hand. "Come on, Granny can give us some water to rinse out your eyes when we get home," she said.

"What's the matter, Grimm, going blind or something?" Puck commented when he joined them. He'd seen the way she had been rubbing her eyes moments earlier, as well as how she was still rubbing them, and had debated on checking on her or teasing her. He'd finally decided to do both.

Sabrina scowled in his direction. "At least if I were blind I wouldn't have to look at you," she retorted. Even though she wasn't sure where he was, she'd had to follow his voice. She lowered her arm from her eyes, blinking to try and clear them.

"You should consider yourself _lucky_ to be able to look at someone such as handsome as me," Puck said haughtily. His concern flew out the window. He hadn't even wanted to keep going to school and watching her drool over Kerdy. He was only there now because Relda had made it clear she expected him to still keep an eye on Sabrina at school whether or not there was an immediate threat.

"Oh, stop, Puck," Daphne said, looking at Sabrina worriedly.

"Shut up, Daphne. I don't need you to defend me," Sabrina said suddenly, yanking away and walking on her own, away from them both.

Daphne looked startled, staring after her sister. "Sabrina?"

Puck raised an eyebrow, uncrossing his arms and putting his hands on his hips. "Huh," he said. That hadn't been expected.

"Well, come on, marshmallow," Puck said. "We might as well head home."

"I guess..." Daphne looked at Puck, and the two of them headed after Sabrina. She was bothered by her sister's reaction - Sabrina didn't usually talk to her that way.

***.*.*.*.***

Sabrina walked ahead of them without looking back, her eyes narrowed. She was tired of them all. Tired of how annoying Puck was, always playing with her emotions and never growing up… Tired of Daphne always being so ungrateful and acting like she knew everything just because she got along with Everafters…

She was tired of the whole town. Everyone and everything in it. They were all animals, and they were the reason she was miserable.

And her parents…! How dare they let this happen to them too? They had let themselves get kidnapped, abandoning Sabrina and Daphne to the awful orphanages with the abusive homes. They'd forced Sabrina to grow up too fast. She should have been carefree and happy back in New York where she could fit in and eat normal food, but no, now she was stuck in Ferryport Landing with an old woman and a dangerous Wolf. And an absentee uncle who acted more like a child than Daphne sometimes.

And the nerve! He'd gotten her addicted to magic in the first place, and if he'd never been such an irresponsible rule-breaker with her father's former girlfriend—the thought sent another wave of irritation through her—then that psycho Red Riding Hood never would have gotten out, and they'd never have had to deal with the Jabberwocky…

She clenched her fists as the rage slid through her like never before, along with the hate. She hated them all. It was their fault.

***.*.*.*.***

When they reached the house, Sabrina headed for the kitchen and got some juice, looking more annoyed than usual.

Relda was in the kitchen, and she looked up, a smile on her face when she saw the younger girl. "Not going out with Kerdy today, _liebling?_" she asked. She'd had no objections to Sabrina getting to know the boy. He was very polite to everyone, including Mr. Canis. And Mr. Canis had been in the same angry mood for the past month or so, which made it harder for anyone to be around him. Kerdy somehow managed.

Elvis lifted his head from his paws, looking at Sabrina curiously.

"It's none of your business," Sabrina snapped. "Who asked you anyway, old lady?"

Relda looked at Sabrina, startled, her smile vanishing at the extremely un-Sabrina-like retort. Even when Sabrina was angry, she was rarely so disrespectful to Relda.

"Whoa, that's usually my line," Puck said, stopping in the kitchen doorway with Daphne peeking around behind him. "You that upset about not being able to go out with loverboy, Grimm?"

Sabrina paused, turning to look at Puck. "I hope you die."

She'd never said anything like that to him before, and the look of utter loathing and coldness in her eyes was completely new. There was no joking tone, no 'just kidding' on the horizon. "Then I won't have to hear your stupid voice anymore."

Daphne's eyes widened in shock.

"_Sabrina Grimm!_" Relda exclaimed.

Puck's expression changed abruptly, the laughing look in his eyes that was always there when confronting Sabrina fading at her words. "Funny, you've never seemed to mind before," he said. His tone was flat.

Sabrina snorted. "Whatever. I'm going to my room."

She headed for the door, pushing past Puck without a second glance at him.

"And you can stay there, young lady, until you've calmed down," Relda said, frowning after Sabrina.

Daphne's wide eyes followed her sister, and then she looked at Puck.

Puck didn't look at Sabrina as she went past him. Then he turned and headed for his own room. "Don't send anyone after me, old lady," he called over his shoulder.  
Relda and Daphne looked at each other. For all of Sabrina's moods, she'd never spoken to Puck that way before. And clearly, Puck knew that.

Sabrina hesitated again as Puck went past, then turned to look at Relda coldly. "I wish I could just stay in my room until we could leave this place. I hate it here, I hate Everafters, I hate having to clean up after everyone else! I hate you, I hate Mr. Canis, I hate Elvis, I hate this whole stupid place, and you know what I hate the most?"

She looked at Daphne. "I hate that I have to take care of you, and I hate having to deal with Puck. If you two would just vanish, maybe I'd be happier, but no, you can't even do that. You just follow me around, whining and complaining that people don't treat you like an adult. Wanna know why they don't? Because you're a helpless little baby when it comes to anything serious. You're having fun with all the fairytale mysteries, but that's because you don't know anything! They're not your friends, Daphne, you don't even have any! You just follow me and talk to my friends. You make me sick."

Before anyone could speak, she turned back away. "Maybe you should sleep somewhere else tonight Daphne, I don't want you around either."

Elvis made a soft whining sound, his ears drooping at Sabrina's words. Then Sabrina was gone, heading into her room in annoyance. The slam of the door echoed in the stunned-silent Grimm house.

Daphne's eyes had widened, but to her credit she didn't start sniffling until Sabrina had gone to their bedroom. Her lower lip trembled. "Granny?" she asked, her voice shaking. "Can...can I stay in your room tonight?"

Relda put her hands gently on Daphne's shoudlers. "Of course, liebling," she said softly. She looked after Sabrina sadly. She'd hoped that in time...but perhaps forcing Sabrina into this situation had only made it worse. The girl was clearly under stress and a lot of frustration. With no health outlet to vent it, it was no surprise Sabrina had started snapping at people.

But still, to say such things to Daphne, of all people? The little girl had been with Sabrina longest out of everyone in her life (awake) now.

Sabrina didn't come out of her room until it was morning and time for school. Even then she didn't bother stopping to look at anyone or talk to them, she just headed for the door with her backpack. Her expression was still very cold.

Puck was in a foul mood the next morning, too - there wasn't even a prank to wake Sabrina up. He was doing his best to just stay out of her way. Her words had given him an entirely different feeling from before—he didn't even want revenge. It wasn't a feeling he'd ever had before, at least not that he could remember… He just avoided Sabrina so he didn't have to deal with it fresh.

He only chose to go to school that day because Relda requested that he go - for Daphne's sake if nothing else. Daphne was only depressed at Sabrina's lack of a change in the morning, and she hardly ate anything before heading to school.

"Morning," Kerdy greeted when they stepped outside. He was at the edge of the yard, backpack slung carelessly over one shoulder.

Sabrina completely ignored him, walking past him in annoyance. She didn't really hate him, she just didn't think he was worth the time.

"...?" Kerdy blinked, then looked to Daphne. "Is she okay? Hey... Are you okay?" he had noticed the change in her. And even Puck seemed upset... What had he missed?

Daphne looked at Kerdy, depressed. "Sabrina's been in a really bad mood since last night," she said. Her shoulders slumped.

"Did something happen?" Kerdy asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Everyone seems upset..."

Daphne bit her lip. It was okay to tell Kerdy, right? He liked Sabrina, and he was an Everafter. Or his parents were.

"She said that she hated it here," Daphne said dismally. "And she said that she didn't want me around. And she told Puck she wanted him to d-die." She sniffled just thinking about all the things that Sabrina had said. Her usual reaction would have been to get mad and just ignore Sabrina, but it was the most hurtful and angry Sabrina had ever been… Especially with her. "She's always complained, but she's never been like that."

Kerdy frowned. He may not have known Sabrina all that long, but through talking and hanging out, he knew she really looked after Daphne. Even though he knew she didn't like Ferryport Landing much, why would she take it out on Daphne?

He pat Daphne's shoulder and looked to Puck. "Did you do some kind of prank to make her act like this?" he asked. After all, Sabrina had been very stressed about the pranks, she complained about it non-stop. It was giving her self-esteem issues at school.

Puck scowled. "What, it's my fault?" he asked, his tone defensive. "I didn't do anything more to her than usual. And I didn't do anything right before she started being a jerk, anyway."

"This is so unlike her," Kerdy said in worry. "Does she really hate it here that much?" He looked back to Daphne. He hadn't thought it was quite so serious… But what if that really was the reason?

Daphne bit her lip. "She doesn't really like it here," she said. "She wants to go back to New York. But she's never outright said that she hates it until recently… I think."

"Maybe she's just having a really bad week," Kerdy said quietly. He gave Daphne's shoulder a gentle squeeze. The little girl was such a ray of happiness and enthusiasm, she was so endearing it distressed him to see her so upset. "Don't worry about it, Daph. She'll be back to her sweet self in no time."

Puck scowled, but for once he didn't make a comment about how Sabrina wasn't sweet. He was too angry with her. Besides, it would just put Daphne in a worse mood.

Daphne looked up at Kerdy. "You think so, Kerdy?" she asked hopefully.

"Yeah," Kerdy smiled down at Daphne… And miserably ate his words for the next few days as Sabrina's mood only got worse. She lashed out at everyone, although she only seemed annoyed with Kerdy, whereas with Daphne and Puck it was straightforward animosity and malice.

Especially when it came to Puck. Any time she saw him or he was around, she felt the need to express how much she loathed him and wished he would go away.

She had also started bullying younger kids at the school, and when she came home on the fourth day since her attitude change, she had quite a bit of lunch money.

Kerdy was extremely depressed that he couldn't seem to help.

Relda was at a loss on what to do about Sabrina, and Mr. Canis was no better off. It was becoming clear that Sabrina's attitude wasn't adjusting - whatever had upset her so much this time had done a good job of sticking around. Not even punishments or threats of suspension seemed to bother her.

Daphne had all but moved into Relda's room, and her grandmother hadn't objected to it, since Sabrina was only harsh towards her sister when she saw her.

As for Puck... even he was steering clear of Sabrina. Every time they were in the same room and she voiced her opinion, it only put him in a fouler mood, which would promptly impact the rest of the house with whatever he chose to break in order to let off his irritation.

It didn't even go unnoticed by Kerdy that Puck was having a hard time dealing with Sabrina's mood swings. The usually cocky and playful boy was moody, moping, and genuinely upset. According to Daphne, even though Puck was often cruel to Sabrina through words and pranks, there was no one more protective and reckless when it came to Sabrina being in danger.

Kerdy had realized pretty easily what was happening… At least with Puck's feelings towards Sabrina. And he was pretty sure the only ones who didn't realize it were Sabrina and Puck.

As the days trudged on, Kerdy tried keeping Daphne entertained by explaining the story of The Goblin and the Princess and how he kept getting mistaken for characters from it, but it was only a temporary fix. After two weeks of Sabrina's attitude, it had felt like a lifetime.

***.*.*.*.***

**Sky: **Well, there ya have it ^^ The first of like 500 chapters. And before we get flames to keep our Alaskan bums toasty, the Sabrina-OOC was ON PURPOSE. Yes, I too cannot recall her clubbing baby seals or anything in the books, don't worry about it.

**Ayns: **T.T You have no idea what it was like for me, when Sabrina started acting like that...I was panicking in my chair!

:3 Please tune in for the next chapter, where you can find out just exactly what's going on...maaaaaybe. With us, you never know if you have it completely figured out.

**Sky: **Teehee^^ R/R Thanks! And, for the record, this site hates me, because I had to edit this thing like 80 times in the document manager. It kept messing with italics and indents and stuff T_T


	2. The Goblin's Mirror

**EDIT: Sky: edited to add the scene skips.**

**A/N:**

**Sky: **Amg. So, I was flattered by the response to the first chapter—so much so that I was madly editing all night last night to get the second chapter out ASAP. Ayns was happy too, but she's off in la la land somewhere in Toronto, so I'm flying solo for all the editing this time _

I loved most of the reviews ^^ Only one of them confused me, and two people correctly guessed what was influencing Sabrina. Good job :D You're more cultured than Ayns! (I had to explain the fairytale to her and smack her up a bit. ^^)

Well, please be patient with me, normally Ayns controls Relda, Mr. Canis, Puck, Daphne, and Elvis, but for the majority of this chapter I had to write new scenes and edit their scenes… It's like an OOC on top of OOC dilemma! I had to play them IC and then not mess up the way she played them… Afghblah!

Sorry to hit you over the face with a tree instead of being subtle with a lot of Puck's reactions here, but I wanted to drive it home why we don't consider this to be OOC. Also, I take no credit for the Puck scenes after Kerdy explains the solution, that's all Ayns' awesomeness. Sniff. I wish she'd get back already, I neeeeeeeeeeeeed her.

Hope you all enjoy, please R/R, reviews make me rabid to get more posted! (And I still have over 80,000 words in the original document I haven't edited to make chapters! ^^)

***.*.*.*.***

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter Two: The Goblin's Mirror_**

***.*.*.*.***

Sabrina went into the kitchen, looking annoyed when she didn't see anything she wanted. It had been around two and a half weeks since her behavior had shifted from angst to hostility, and most people just steered clear of her. That was fine, she didn't need anyone. But still, why didn't they have the decency to stock the kitchen up? It wasn't like she asked for much. And where had Jake been? At least he sometimes had real food with him, even if Sabrina hated how childish he acted.

She scowled at the empty kitchen, turning to the window over the sink, and immediately saw a shiny glass art—a rose in full bloom—hanging in the sunlight. It was something her grandfather had made, on one of his trips with Relda, but it looked horrible to her. In her frustration, she walked over to the sink, taking it down. The rose looked like a horrible slimy pile of dirt. With a look of disgust, she brought the glass picture up higher, then slammed it down on the counter with no remorse. Maybe if they hadn't wanted her to break it, they wouldn't have made it so obvious. Anything that ugly deserved to be broken, and Sabrina figured she'd done them a favor by breaking it.

Ironically, Jake had just returned a little while earlier, explaining to Relda that he'd figured if Veronica and Henry were under a sleep spell, they had a perfect solution to waking them up. Find the girl Henry had once been in love with and get her to come kiss him to wake him up.

Problem was, no one had seen Goldilocks since Jake had accidentally freed the Jabberwocky. Hence his long absences. He was trying to track her down.

Relda had been in mid-explanation of Sabrina's newest attitude when the shattering glass had gotten their attention. It had been loud.

Relda's eyes widened, and she looked toward the kitchen. Meeting Jake's gaze briefly, she then rushed for the kitchen.

And stopped short, stunned, when she saw the broken glass and Sabrina. "What..."

Jake was a step behind her, and he froze. "Sabrina...!" He had initially thought she'd hurt herself, but the way she stood with the broken glass… It was clearly intentional, and he knew exactly what it was she'd broken. When Sabrina turned to look at them, her expression was cold. "It was ugly." Then she turned to leave again, heading for the door to the house.

Relda took a deep breath, her eyes remaining on the glass shards for another moment. The glass rose... one of the mementos of Basil that she had left, now gone for good. She almost couldn't believe it - she didn't want to believe it.

Relda turned, looking at Sabrina as she headed for the door. "Stop right there, young lady," she said, her voice tight with anger - anger and hurt. She strode over to her granddaughter and caught her arm. She couldn't look at the remains of what had once been a beautiful art piece, made with complete love.

"No," Sabrina said, scowling up at Relda. She jerked her arm away. "I don't have to do anything you say. Don't even touch me, you ugly old hag."

Jake strode forward and grasped her other arm. "Excuse me young lady," he said angrily. "Just who do you think you are? Apologize to your grandmother, right now!"

She tried to jerk free, but his grip was much stronger than Relda's. "Get your hands off of me!"

"Sabrina Grimm, if your parents could see you acting like this..." Jake trailed off. He didn't want Relda to be the one who had to deal with this. His mother had been through enough.

"Well they can't, and who are you to lecture me?" she snapped. "At least nothing I've done has killed anyone, especially not my own dad."

Jake was almost stunned enough to let go at her words, but he kept a tight grip on her arm. If anything, his grip got even tighter. He had blamed himself enough for that, but he'd finally begun to let go. Sabrina had never shown any indication before that she blamed him…

"That's enough, young lady," Relda said, pressing her lips together. "We've been patient for the last few days - but this is getting out of hand now. I will not tolerate this behavior any longer. You will go to your room, and you will stay there until I say otherwise."

Before Sabrina could retort, another hand seized Sabrina's other arm. Mr. Canis looked down at her with a growl. "I've had enough of this," he said. "After everything that your grandmother's done for you, this is how you act? She took you and your sister in, gave you a home, and I'm getting sick and tired of listening to you do nothing but bad mouth her and upset her. It stops _now_." He was practically growling out the final words, his eyes narrowed down at Sabrina.

Sabrina growled right back, eyes furious. "I didn't ask for any of it! I hate you and I hate her! Let go of me!" She struggled as hard as she could, golden hair swishing. "I hope you all die!"

"What the hell has gotten into you?" Jake grunted, helping Mr. Canis restrain her. It was like she didn't care about repercussions, just fighting to be away from them no matter the cost.

From near the stairs, Daphne watched with wide, frightened eyes. A moment later she sensed someone standing next to her, and glanced up to see Puck, his eyes focused in the direction of the voices. His expression was solemn, as it had been whenever Sabrina was involved lately.

"I'd say it's a pretty big case of a bad attitude," Mr. Canis growled, tightening his grip on Sabrina's arm.

Relda looked pained, which made Mr. Canis even more angry with Sabrina's attitude. She'd explained to Jake what had been going on, but this was Jake's first time seeing Sabrina actually act like this.

"I said let GO of me!" Sabrina jerked even more. "I don't have to listen to a _couple of murderers!" _

Mr. Canis' eyes flared wide at Sabrina's reaction, and his body went stiff. Having those thoughts so blatantly thrown in his face that way was like being doused with a stream of cold water.

"That's it," Jake said, reaching his limit. He tossed powder in Sabrina's face from a container in one of his many pockets. He was always carrying random magical items and trinkets, so it wasn't odd to anyone in the room.

A moment later, Sabrina stopped struggling, body going limp. Her breathing became labored.

Relda looked at her now unconscious granddaughter, lying in Mr. Canis' arms. Before, she had just assumed that Sabrina's attitude had been natural pre-teen rebellion and hormones. After all, Sabrina had always seemed cynical and jaded to the world around her, seeing many things in black and white. It wasn't like an angry Sabrina was completely out of character for the troubled girl. But this was different. Relda was sure that something was influencing Sabrina, now more than ever. More than Rumpelstiltskin's influence, which had enhanced Sabrina's actual feelings—this seemed to be altering her feelings or influencing her heart in a way that left room for only hatred.

Relda raised her head to look to the others. "Something is very wrong with Sabrina," she said grimly. "And we must figure out what is influencing her before we lose her completely. I have faith that she would never say or do these things on her own."

Daphne hurried down the stairs and into the room, looking at Sabrina as Mr. Canis held onto her to keep her from going so limp that she fell to the floor. Jake frowned, looking to Relda. "You think there's an outside influence that isn't the horror of puberty and PMS?"

Before Relda could answer, Sabrina convulsed suddenly, gasping in pain. The muscles in her neck tensed and un-tensed, and it looked like she tried to breathe and no air was going in.

Jake looked at her in alarm. "Okay, all I did was throw a sleeping powder on her. It should just be making her warm and toasty. It shouldn't be having this effect."

Mr. Canis picked Sabrina up and carried her over to the couch, bringing her into Puck's view fully - and Puck was down the stairs in an instant when he realized that Sabrina was having trouble breathing. No matter how mad he was, or how awful Sabrina was being, the thought of her in danger or dying still made him react.

"What's happening to her?" Daphne asked with wide eyes, as she and Relda followed Mr. Canis and Sabrina to the couch. She looked at Jake, Relda, and Mr. Canis. "Uncle Jake? Granny? Mr. Canis?"

Jake checked the vial he'd used, frowning. "She can't be allergic," he muttered to himself, going through his pockets for something else. He splashed the next item onto her, and the powder completely vanished.

Sabrina took a strained breath, then began gasping, breathing heavily. "Nng...." Her eyes fluttered open. She clutched at her chest, over her heart. She was reacting as if he'd doused her with ice water, though it evaporated almost instantly.

"Sabrina!" Daphne said anxiously, looking at her sister. Even with the way that Sabrina had been acting, none of them wanted her life to be in danger, even if Puck wouldn't admit it out loud. Puck's eyes were slightly wide, and focused entirely on Sabrina.

"Are you all right?" Relda asked in concern, seeing the way that Sabrina was breathing and clutching at her chest.

Sabrina looked at them all, eyes only half open. The hate was clear in her expression still, and she didn't seem to be ready to apologize. Finally, she looked at Puck. The hate intensified so badly that it was almost physically painful to see. Puck actually flinched slightly, and had to avert his eyes. He just couldn't handle seeing Sabrina look at him that way.

Sabrina pulled away, pushing at them and going up to her room in a daze, having a bit of trouble. Whatever Jake had done was still hindering her ability to move around without being a bit sluggish.

"...What the hell is wrong with her," Jake asked, frowning. He'd shoved aside the hurtful things Sabrina had done, now he was worried. "You said an outside influence, mom?"

Relda watched Sabrina make her way upstairs. "Everyone," she said, in a matter-of-fact tone that they were all familiar with, "I believe it's time that we do some detective work—it's time to put a stop to this."

Within moments they had seated themselves at the table, with Relda asking questions of Puck and Daphne. Daphne, her mind already sharp on picking up details, told them that the last person Sabrina had spoken to before she'd changed had been Kerdy.

Though Puck had rolled his eyes at this, it was decided that the next step was to contact Kerdy and ask him to come over to the house. When he got there, Daphne was hurriedly pulling open the door to let him inside.

Kerdy looked awkward as he came in, concern in his eyes. "Hey," he said. "What can I do to help?" he put a hand on Daphne's head affectionately.

"Have a seat and join us, for starters," Relda said warmly, looking at Kerdy. "Thank you for coming."

Daphne grabbed Kerdy's hand and tugged him over to the table. "We're trying to figure out what's wrong with Sabrina."

Kerdy followed, briefly pausing to introduce himself to Jake. When he sat down, he frowned. They went over what they knew--that Sabrina had spoken to him that day, and then the next thing anyone knew, she was being... Well, hateful.

"Okay," Kerdy said. "Tell me exactly what happened after I left that day, Princess. Did anything at all happen between my leaving and her attitude change?"

That earned another eye roll from Puck, but Relda and Mr. Canis both shot him a look that halted him. Daphne was a little surprised at her new nickname, but then decided she really liked it, and put her mind back to the matter at hand.

"Um..." Daphne pressed her fists against her mouth, looking like she was deep in thought. Then her eyes widened. "Oh! Sabrina got dust in her eyes."

"She got... Dust in her eyes?" Jake echoed.

Kerdy gave Daphne a patient smile. That... Wasn't very helpful.

Daphne nodded. "Uh huh," she said. "And then this other girl came up and offered her a handkerchief to wipe her eyes with. She started to get really irritated with me and Puck when she was getting the dust out of her eyes."

"Yeah, she was being her usual charming self," Puck added sarcastically.

"Well-" Kerdy suddenly froze. He looked to Daphne with an 'ohcrap' look. "A girl? Offered her a handkerchief? Did you see what the girl looked like?"

Jake glanced to Relda, then back to Kerdy. He frowned when he realized he'd never met the boy, but Daphne and the others had clearly stated he was the son of two Everafters. At Kerdy's reaction, Relda looked at him. She, too, didn't know who Kerdy's parents were - only what Daphne and Sabrina had told her, which was that they were Everafters.

Daphne looked at Kerdy with slightly wide eyes, and then nodded. "She was really pretty," she said. "And she had really blonde hair, it looked white. Right, Puck?" She looked at the fairy for confirmation.

"Sounds about right," Puck said, his eyes on Kerdy now. Did he know something?

Kerdy groaned. "Oh man!" He sank a bit in his chair. "I should have known Klarissa would have done something."

He buried his face in his hands. "This is all my fault."

"Klarissa?" Jake asked. "Ex?"

"Something like that," Kerdy groaned. "She's a lot older than I am, she went after my brother first but he turned her down too. The Snow Queen is her mother, and I guess the Snow Queen had a thing for my dad way back when..." he trailed off. "Klarissa and I aren't together, but... Well, I was kinda dating Sabrina, and I don't know if Klarissa thinks of her as competition, but..." he looked at them apprehensively. "Klarissa practices magic. I'll bet she did something to Sabrina.

Mr. Canis narrowed his eyes, his attention focused on Kerdy. No one was looking away from the teen.

Daphne swallowed hard, and clasped her hands in front of her. "What could she have done?" she asked anxiously. The thought of someone intentionally wanting to hurt Sabrina...she couldn't bear it.

Relda looked at Kerdy. "The Snow Queen?" she repeated. "Kerdy - your parents wouldn't happen to be Kai and Gerda, would they?" Though she had never met them, she knew of them - they kept to themselves as far away from the proper town as they could get.

Kerdy looked at Relda and nodded softly. "Yep. Ran out of names by the time they got to me, combined their names. I don't like my name much, but mom said her name's weird too. Yeah my parents are Kai and Gerda," he rambled. "That doesn't matter I guess. But Klarissa's into some dark stuff. She and her brothers want out of the barrier. I don't know what she did to Sabrina, though."

Puck scowled. "You don't have any idea of what this girl could have done to her?" he demanded of Kerdy. Kerdy knew Klarissa better than any of them, and Puck wanted answers. He didn't know why he'd been so bothered by Sabrina's outright hatred. It didn't make any sense to him, what did he care if a girl didn't like him?

He kept telling himself he didn't care, but Sabrina's words were getting to him. It had always been fun to tease her and watch her get mad at him, but with her current attitude… It felt like he was missing something vital. It felt terrible.

Kerdy looked at Puck for a moment, then sighed. "She could have cursed her, but then Sabrina wouldn't be angry at everyone. She'd just be cursed. Or maybe she did a spell to make Sabrina hate everyone so I'd be miserable because I was finally making friends."

Puck rolled his eyes. And then promptly ignored the flaring jealousy that suggested Sabrina was someone special to Kerdy or Kerdy was someone special to Sabrina.

Daphne looked dejected, hanging her head a little. "I don't like Sabrina like this," she said softly. "She's so...she's so angry at everyone. She's angry at me...angry at Puck...she broke Granny's rose..." She hated the way that Sabrina was acting. She wanted her sister back.

Relda placed her hands gently on Daphne's shoulders. "Oh, _liebling,"_ she said softly.

Kerdy looked at Daphne, heart breaking at the sight of her. "Don't worry, Princess, we'll figure something out," he said to her. "And then Sabrina will be back to her regular self."

But her words made him frown a little. She hadn't been outright mean to him, she just avoided him. More like he irritated her... It sounded like Sabrina had been terrorizing her family.

Daphne raised her head and looked up at Kerdy. "It's been...it's been really bad," she said.

Relda stroked Daphne's shoulders gently. "Sabrina's been getting worse and worse," she said. She looked at Kerdy. "How bad has she been to you, Kerdy?" She didn't realize that Sabrina's attitude toward Kerdy had been vastly different from the way she acted at home.

Kerdy frowned a bit. "She avoids me. When I try to talk to her, she looks like I make her sick, and then she leaves. But she hasn't been outright hateful."

Jake studied Kerdy. "Maybe she likes you more than us."

Before Puck could laugh at the idea, Kerdy stopped him from needing to. The young blonde Everafter frowned even more. "I doubt it. We barely know each other."

Mr. Canis raised an eyebrow, and then looked over at Relda. She had a thoughtful look on her face, and it had appeared right after Kerdy had spoken.

"Perhaps it isn't that she likes you more," Relda said slowly, thoughtfully, "But that the more she naturally cares for someone, the more… Angry she is toward them."

Kerdy tensed. He looked to Relda immediately. As a Grimm, she would be one of the few people to actually know the terms and conditions of the Goblin's Mirror. How had he not thought of it before? Klarissa loved irony and poetic justice (in her own twisted mind) and it wasn't impossible for her to do this!

"If you haven't noticed, she's been really angry with Puck," Jake said dryly.

"She's always angry with me," Puck said with a roll of his eyes.

"But not in this way, Puck," Relda said, looking at him. "No...this is much different." She looked at Kerdy. "The fact that Klarissa is the Snow Queen's daughter got me thinking - Kerdy, you must be familiar with the Goblin's Mirror?"

Kerdy nodded. "I was just thinking that," he said in a soft voice. "And it makes perfect sense."

"What's the Goblin's Mirror?" Daphne asked, looking up at her grandmother with wide eyes.

"The Goblin's Mirror," Relda said, "Is a fairy tale item that I only know from the legend - a legend that includes Kerdy's parents, Kai and Gerda. I've never seen it myself. But it's said that if you are pierced with the shards of the mirror, it can change your feelings toward a person. The more you care for a person, the more your feelings will reverse."

All of Puck's attention was immediately on Relda. The more you cared for a person, the more your feelings would reverse? As he sorted that out in his head and applied it to the current situation, his mind started to deny a very obvious answer.

Kerdy looked to Daphne, while Jake listened. "Princess, the Goblin's mirror was made by an evil goblin, filled with hatred. The mirror was poison. Anyone who looked into it saw nothing but cruelty and ugliness. A pure person would reflect a demon. His minions took the mirror up to the heavens to try and taunt angels, but they dropped it. When it broke, the shards scattered, finding their way into the hearts of pure people and rotting them from the inside out."

He took a deep breath. "My mom told me the story. My dad got the shards in his eyes and in his heart. It made everything look ugly, and also... It made him hateful. He was cruel to my mom, his childhood friend... He hurt people, and he laughed about it. He avoided my mom for months. Most people think that the shards just turned pure to evil, and some even thought God-Fearing individuals were immune… But that's not the case. The shards infect your heart completely. Anything you saw that was beautiful becomes ugly and disgusting. Any love in your heart, aware of it or not, turns into hatred… If Klarissa put shards in the handkerchief, and Sabrina rubbed her eyes with it, then the shards would be in her heart too…"

A certain blonde fairy found his eyes narrowing. _'Any love in your heart, aware of it or not, turns to hatred?' _But Sabrina hated him. She'd said so. She'd told him she wanted him to die. But if Kerdy and Relda were right, then Sabrina didn't actually hate him. That thought made him much happier than he should have.

But then… If they were right, she only seemed to hate him so much because she _cared _about him equally as much. That was impossible.

Jake frowned in Kerdy's direction. "How do we fix it then?"

Kerdy blanched. "I don't actually know. Mom and dad get kinda mushy… You know, staring into each other's eyes and stuff. I zone out. I used to love the story when I was little, but I don't remember anymore."

"Would it be possible for you to ask your parents, Kerdy?" Relda asked. "If they could tell us how they defeated the shards of the mirror, then it would be the greatest help to Sabrina."

Daphne clasped her hands in front of Kerdy hopefully. "Could you?"

"Of course," Kerdy said. He glanced to Puck for a moment. "But I'm not sure it'll help."

Puck narrowed his eyes again, but this time it was challenging. He didn't like the idea of just doing nothing. "Why not?" he asked. "If your parents know how to stop it, why wouldn't it work for us?"

"Because it involves love," Kerdy said. "And I'm sure that her family loves her very much," he looked to Daphne meaningfully. "But... I'm not sure it'll be enough."

"You mean romance. For the eleven-year-old," Jake said slowly.

Kerdy nodded once. "My parents weren't much older, but they'd known each other all their lives and were very much in love with each other, even if it had started platonic. By the time my mom found my dad again, the love had grown."

Daphne's shoulders drooped a little. "So you don't think that there's anything that we can do to help Sabrina?" she asked in a small voice. She wanted there to be something. She wanted to find the answer on how to save her sister.

"Unless you know someone who's in love with Sabrina romantically," Kerdy said softly. "I know I'm not. I care about her, just not like that. It takes more time to fall in love, more experiences and stuff."

Jake's eyes flickered briefly to Puck.

"Tch. Yeah right, I guess she's stuck like this then," Puck said, standing up. "What a waste of time. Who'd care about her? Or are you gonna kiss it better, loverboy?"

Saying it made him even angrier. He didn't really care to kiss her again, but the thought of someone else doing it made him want to feed them to the pixies. Like anyone could even suggest someone else would kiss Sabrina or be in love with her. They didn't know about the kiss he'd given Sabrina. That had been awhile ago. There was no way that they could possibly know about that, because he was positive Sabrina never would have told. And he wouldn't have. So why did he feel like they should have known that she was off-limits to other people? _'Stupid Grimm,' _he thought, scowling. _'What do I care.' _

"I just said I'm not in love with her, fairyboy," Kerdy said, an edge to his voice. "Fake feelings wouldn't work for this. And if Sabrina cared that much about me, she'd be acting out against me just as much as she has been with her family."

Daphne was just starting to realize what Kerdy was saying, and she managed a smile. "So Sabrina doesn't really really hate me. She really loves me, and that's why she's being such a snotface!"

Then her mouth opened to a little 'o', and she looked over at Puck. That realization extended to her sister's rampant hatred of Puck now too. According to Kerdy and Relda, Sabrina was in love with Puck? That was a good thing!

Puck snorted. "Or maybe she just hates you," he said to Daphne, before heading away, ignoring the sudden crushed expression on the little girl's face. He didn't want to hear anything else, he just wanted to go to his room. And he only had a slight moment of guilt for saying that to the gullible Grimm.

"I see the problem," Jake muttered once Puck had gone. "It'll be at least another two years before he admits it."

Daphne straightened her shoulders and reminded herself that Relda knew more than Puck about what was happening with Sabrina—and Sabrina didn't hate her.

"I'm really sorry, everyone," Kerdy said softly. "I didn't mean for this to happen."

"Of course you didn't, child," Relda said in a soothing voice. "We'll figure out a way to solve this."

Standing, Kerdy pushed a hand through his hair. "I'll go talk to my parents and see what I can find out."

"Thanks, Kerdy," Daphne said, looking up at him with a suddenly determined look. "The faster we find out what to do, the faster we can fix Sabrina. We'll look through our journals and I'll look through the book you gave me so we can try to find a solution too."

He smiled down at her, then turned and headed out, lost in thought. He was pretty sure he already knew what needed to be done. The question was, would Puck ever be ready to admit how he felt, or be willing to do it…? Their feelings were so obvious… _'Grow up,' _he thought with a sigh, thinking of Puck.

Sabrina ran the brush through her hair again, eyes narrowed and focused on nothing in particular. She was furious with the way Jake had treated her. How dare he act like she owed anyone anything? She deserved so much better than what she had to put up with.

The thought made her heart a little colder, and a cruel smirk touched her lips. They thought she was acting up and they had authority? Maybe she'd show them how little authority they actually had.

She stood, dropping the brush to the ground and walking to the mirror. Her reflection was lovely, her hair trailing down her upper arms near her elbows, and her blue eyes vibrant, but filled with hate. Still, she didn't like the way she looked, there was something about it that just made her eyes hurt and her rage spike.

Nobody came upstairs to bother her at the sound of the glass breaking, and she smirked to herself. Maybe they'd learned to stay out of her way?

She didn't bother cleaning up the broken mess, smashing every mirror in the room. That was when she heard the door open.

Clenching her fists, she turned to glare at whoever was bothering her, and the glare intensified when she saw Puck, of all people, standing in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest.

"What's the matter, Grimm? Can't even stand looking at yourself anymore? I don't blame you, I can't stand it either," he sneered.

"Go die," Sabrina hissed. "You make me sick."

"Tch, yeah right," Puck taunted, walking into the room. "You think I'm the hottest guy on the planet."

"I think you're ugly," Sabrina answered, expression unwavering.

Something flickered in Puck's eyes as he recalled Kerdy and Relda's words about the Goblin's mirror. It wasn't like he'd never heard of it, but he'd never paid much attention. It had been in—as Kerdy said—a love story more often than not. Blech. But still…

"You're so in love with me, Grimm," he said, testing her reaction.

"I hate you more than anyone or anything in the world. I hate you so much that just thinking about you fills me with revulsion."

"What does revulsion mean?" A voice interrupted before Puck could speak again.

"Not now, Marshmallow," Puck said, eyes flickering to her. "Get your fairytale book and go back to the Old Lady."

Daphne stuck her lower lip out briefly, but decided Sabrina's expression was making her uncomfortable enough that she simply did what he said, avoiding the broken mirror shards.

When Daphne had gone, Puck turned back to Sabrina. "You love your sister."

"I hate my sister," Sabrina scowled.

Puck's blue eyes flickered, briefly changing color. "So you really hate me, Grimm?"

"More than words describe. Get out," Sabrina said, turning away. "You're pathetic."

"Careful Grimm. I think I'm starting to hate you too."

He turned and left then, shutting the door behind him. Her words had confirmed it—he knew Sabrina loved Daphne, that was a no-brainer. But she'd also said she hated him—more than she hated Daphne. Which meant Sabrina Grimm was totally in love with him.

_'Well of course she is,' _he reasoned. _'Who wouldn't be? I'm amazing.'_Oddly enough, the thought didn't disgust him like it would have back when he'd met her. It actually made him feel a bit more egotistical and cool. Not that he figured Sabrina would actually admit it when not under a spell or magical influence.

Not that _he _would ever admit that moments ago, he'd just told Sabrina in his own way that he was starting to think his aging might have been related to her aging. That his saying he was starting to hate her was the opposite.

Groaning, he went into his room to think. His life wasn't supposed to be so complicated. He _liked _the way things had been. The way he'd lived before Sabrina Grimm.

And even worse, he was starting to like the way he was now—the person he was becoming after meeting Sabrina Grimm. Heck, if she hadn't slugged him, he could even admit to himself (and never out loud) that kissing Sabrina hadn't been 'yucky'. He wouldn't have minded doing it again. Maybe growing up and falling in love with Sabrina Grimm wasn't so bad.

Those thoughts _had _to be coming from the maturity tacked on to the whole aging process.

Growing up really did suck.

***.*.*.*.***

Kerdy returned several hours later, a troubled look on his face. The others weren't much better off—few of the Grimms had encountered the Goblin's Mirror, and any records they had of it weren't detailed. To make matters worse, even the fairytale book Daphne had been looking through didn't explain it very well.

"So, did you find anything useful out?" Jake asked, motioning for Kerdy to have a seat.

"Sort of. I was right about the romance thing," Kerdy explained, tone regretful. "The shard in my dad's heart basically turned it into solid ice. He ended up hitching a ride with the Snow Queen on accident and living with her in her castle when she caught him. Mom went on a quest to find him, which took about a year, and when she finally found him, she said she'd missed him so much and loved him so much that she cried when he didn't even notice her. She hugged him, and her tears melted the ice in his heart and washed away the shard. When he realized what was happening, and how horrible he'd been to her, his tears washed away the ones in his eyes."

"Do you think that same line of shard-washing could be used with a family member?" Jake asked.

Kerdy looked doubtful. "I don't think it would. I mean, we could try to make Daphne cry on queue-"

"I totally could!" Daphne piped up.

"-But dad said his Grandmother had cried for him, and she was his only living relative at the time and it didn't work. I think it has to be someone outside the family that your heart cares for," Kerdy finished, wincing when Daphne's face fell again.

Jake exchanged a glance with Relda, and even Mr. Canis looked to Kerdy with an expression indicating they were screwed.

"So you're saying," Jake said. "Puck has to cry on her?"

"Pretty much," Kerdy sighed.

"I have to do _what?" _Puck's voice came from the bottom of the stairs. He'd been listening in, and Relda had known it.

Kerdy rolled his eyes, waiting for Puck to fully come into the room. Once he had, albeit reluctantly, he answered. "Well, in all the time I've known her, which isn't long, mostly she complains about you," Kerdy said with a slight grin. " Everyone can tell that she likes you. Everyone's seen her take it out on you now that she's under the influence of the Goblin's Mirror, so don't bother denying something's going on with you two. But…"

"But what?" Puck asked, his eyes on Kerdy. He wanted to know what the other boy had started to say—and he _didn't _deny any of it, he noted after he'd spoken. Oh well, too late.

"But I don't think you have a chance at fixing her."

Daphne looked absolutely heartbroken at Kerdy's words, her shoulders drooping. Relda touched her shoulder, waiting to see what Puck would say. The wisdom in her eyes stated she knew exactly what Kerdy was doing. Jake seemed to figure it out as well, not interrupting. Puck, however, narrowed his eyes.

"Why not?" he demanded.

Kerdy snorted. "Well. Look at you," he shrugged. "All you ever do is pull pranks and insult her. You don't have a chance at helping her with this."

"What do I need to do?" Puck asked. He wasn't about to let Kerdy tell him that he didn't have a chance to help Sabrina, he was ready to have the old Sabrina back before she hurt someone. Or herself. She'd already broken glass and mirrors, how long before she did something else more dangerous?

"I don't know if it works the same way every time," Kerdy shrugged. "I only know how my parents fixed it. And frankly, I don't think you could pull it off."

Jake glanced at Relda. Was Puck... _Capable _of helping?

Relda's eyes were on Puck. Before the boy could argue his points with Kerdy's claim he wouldn't be able to do it, she spoke. "Puck," she said, "If you _could_ help Sabrina, would you?"

Puck looked at Relda, putting his hands on the table she was at, leaning over a bit. "What kind of question is that?" he asked. "If someone's messing with her, it's got to be stopped. And if I'm the one who can stop it, thenof _course_ I'd do it. I mean, leaving it up to you is hopeless."

"Even if it meant admitting you're in love with Sabrina?" Jake couldn't help but say.

Daphne's hand went to her mouth, biting down on it as her eyes went to Puck in hope. Really? Really really?

Puck stared at Jake for a long moment. Then he averted his eyes, his cheeks reddening ever-so-slightly. It wasn't like anyone would be fooled if he denied it, the proof was piling up. But still… "Do you have to put it so bluntly?" he muttered.

"If you can't even admit it," Kerdy said. "How do you expect to help her?"

Jake watched Puck carefully. This was the most progress they'd made on getting Puck to actually admit it.

Puck scowled at Kerdy. "Fine!" he said. "I admit it, okay? I'm in love with her. Me, the Trickster King, The Most Amazing, Incredibly Handsome, King of Faerie, is in love with Sabrina Grimm." He looked like admitting it was one of the most difficult things he had ever managed - but he had done it.

Daphne's eyes were so huge it looked like they were going to fall out of her head.

Kerdy grinned. "Good progress," he said. "And look, the world didn't end."

There was a crash from upstairs, which made everyone seem to pause. It had come from Sabrina's room. And unlike the time she had smashed the mirrors, this one sounded more serious. Relda's eyes widened, and she stood up, Mr. Canis already on his feet. "Sabrina...!"

Puck was already dashing for the stairs, taking them two at a time and if it hadn't been such a confined space with others in the way or on his heels, he would have flown up them.

***.*.*.*.***

The room was spinning. It felt like the walls were closing in, licked with flames that made it hard to breathe, her heart unable to beat correctly.

Sabrina was on the floor in the room, gasping again and clutching at her chest. She'd fallen hard, knocking a few things off the dresser. Her long golden hair was tangled all around her, tears welling up in her eyes. Nothing had ever felt quite so painful, and she'd been through a lot of painful things.

Her body was being scorched—the uncomfortable itch from the powder Jake had thrown on her had escalated slowly until she hadn't been able to take it anymore. She didn't even care that she'd fallen on broken pieces of her mirror, she could barely feel the sting of the cuts over the raging fire burning her from the inside out.

***.*.*.*.***

Puck threw open the door to Sabrina's room, dashing inside without paying attention to how far behind him everyone else was. He went to her side and knelt down next to her. "Sabrina!" he said urgently, grasping the hand that was clutching at her chest with his own.

She tried to snap at him, but she simply didn't have the air to do it. Her hand felt cold, and she couldn't breathe fully.

Jake stopped in the doorway, looking alarmed. "Brina...!"

Daphne gasped and tried to slip in past Jake, but Mr. Canis reached out and caught her shoulders, stopping her from going into the room.

Puck's attention was entirely on Sabrina. He tightened his grip on her hand. "Don't do this," he said tightly, seeing her trying to snap at him. What was it that Kerdy had said? Ice in her heart? Was that why she was clutching her chest?

Sabrina tried to jerk away from him. She growled between gasps, struggling. Jake put his other hand on Daphne's shoulder, keeping her back as well.

_"Liebling,"_ Relda whispered, looking distressed as she stood next to Mr. Canis, her eyes on her granddaughter.

Puck looked down at Sabrina. Then he looked up at the others. "Leave the room and shut the door," he said.

"But...!" Daphne looked like she wanted to protest - she didn't want to take her eyes off of Sabrina, why was Puck telling them to leave?

"Why?" Jake asked. "You might need help."

Sabrina tried shoving at Puck with her free hand, but though she had quite a bit of upper arm strength, the pain was making her movements weak and sluggish.

Puck grasped Sabrina's other hand, holding onto it and looking down at her. "Trust me," he said. "I can do this a lot better without an audience. Now get lost."

"Close the door," Relda said suddenly, moving into action and ushering them all back. She was willing to trust Puck's words - if he said he wanted them to give privacy, she'd abide by it.

Reluctantly, the doorway cleared out. The door shut. And then everyone left the area completely, giving them as much privacy as possible.

"Let go," Sabrina growled in anger, trying to shove him again. "I hate you!"

Puck held onto her, holding her arm down, and was glad that she didn't have that much strength. He'd been punched by her before, she threw a good hit. "No, you don't," he said, taking a deep breath. It was painful, seeing her like this. She'd always had her moods...but not like this. Nothing like this.

"Yes I do," she snapped. "I hate you more than anyone!" She looked at him, anger mixing with her intense hatred of him.

"I hate you more than anyone too" Puck replied, swallowing hard and looking down at her. The expression in her eyes - he could feel a tightness in his chest and throat as he stared down at her. "The same way you hate me right now."

Before she could respond, a cry tore through her and she gripped her chest again. She was having more trouble breathing, pain in her voice. He wasn't reaching her. She was going to die.

Puck's eyes widened, realizing that she was having difficulty breathing, that it was getting harder for her...that she was in pain. He couldn't lose her. He knew he couldn't - it wasn't in him. He had to protect her, and keep her safe, and _hell_ if he was going to let a mirror screw that up. They'd have time to sort out what this meant for them later, but for now, he had to act fast.

"Stay with me, Sabrina," Puck whispered, letting his guards down now that they were the only two in the room. "Don't die on me." He thought about what life would be like if she were to die here and now. Who would he prank? Who would yell and argue with him, providing entertainment? She was always like a spark just waiting to ignite, and he loved being the one to throw the match. He was supposed to be a villain—but she brought out the hero in him. And he complained because she was never impressed, when she should have been impressed and even swooning! That was why he spent so much time and energy on her, to keep her attention on him. He didn't want her to die.

His eyes burned, and he blinked rapidly. He barely felt the wetness of the tears that had begun to slip down his cheeks, and then dripped down onto her. He pulled her suddenly into his arms, embracing her and closing his eyes tightly. She could fight him, but he wasn't letting go. This was only the second time he'd ever been able to cry in front of her, and he didn't want her to see it. Yet, at the same time, he wanted her to see it more than anything, and he wanted it to make her react to him. He wanted to reach her and bring back the Sabrina Grimm who would smack him for crying over something stupid.

She gave a pained sound, clutching at him instead of pushing at him. Her entire body was trembling, and she could feel the warmth of his tears on her cold skin. It was confusing, and yet, it eased the pressure she'd been feeling. The tears were warm, but they didn't burn like the fire.

After what felt like eternity, the warmth washed over her completely, making her heart flutter hard. She was shaking in his arms, as if cold still, lips parting to ask, but eyes refusing to see what was happening. She was clearly still in pain, and still in the grips of the evil mirror shards. Something glittered in the corners of her eyes, where tears were slowly building.

Puck tightened his arms around her, feeling her cease her struggles against him and hold onto him instead. A fierce relief gripped him, but it wasn't full - she was still in pain. He hadn't completely broken the mirror's hold on her yet. Well, the chances of her punching him were pretty slim now, and it would be the perfectly heroic and fairytale thing to do… So he pulled back and kissed her for the second time, his lips meeting hers, in a kiss that held everything their first one had and more. Everything he was feeling was overwhelming, but he wasn't going to let that stop him. He was beyond trying to reason with it anymore, he'd just have to rely on instinct.

The sound of surprise left Sabrina quickly, and was then muffled as her head was tilted and she found herself being kissed off guard again. She squeezed her eyes shut as hot tears filled her eyes as well, something sparkling as it slid down her cheek.

Then Sabrina's trembling ceased, followed by the coldness leaving her. She relaxed slowly, but her grip on him still very tight.

Puck's kiss didn't break as he felt her trembling cease, felt the addition of her tears mixing with his. He just kept kissing her, holding her in his arms and against his chest. He hadn't held her the first time, simply flown up and kissed her.

Holding her added an entirely new element to it. Daresay it made the kiss better.

Sabrina was the one who broke the kiss, looking confused and flushed. Her eyes were honestly bewildered as she stared up at him. Then they filled with pain and shame as weeks worth of memories rushed through her, and she realized what was happening.

She had to bow her head, her hands coming up to cover her eyes as she finally let go of him.

"Are you all right?" Puck asked, finding his voice as he looked at her. She wasn't cussing at him, or trying to hit him, or - worst of all - saying that she hated him. These were good things. But why did she seem so upset now? It hadn't been a bad kiss.

A sob shook her. She broke down, recalling all of the things she had said and done, and she was horrified.

"Hey." Puck tightened his arms around her. "It wasn't your fault. None of what you were doing or saying was _you_. You were being screwed with."

"I don't know why I did it!" she cried into her hands, voice heavily muffled by his chest as well. She didn't even notice if he smelled. Interestingly enough, for reasons utterly unknown to him Puck had actually chosen to take a bath earlier that day - so smell wasn't an issue at that point. He'd probably realize later that he'd been bathing more often than ever, and would blame it on aging.

"There was this thing called the Goblin's Mirror," Puck said, cupping the back of her head, trying to comfort her. "Pieces of it got into your eyes and your heart - twisted you inside. It made you lash out at people. The more you cared about them, the worse you got."

"But I..." She suddenly stopped, pulling back to look up at him. "I was worst to _you."_

Puck looked at her, and nodded. "Yep," he said. He couldn't resist giving her a crooked grin. "I noticed that pretty quickly. Everyone did."

She flushed in horror. Then a thought struck her, and the bewildered look left her. Her eyes focused on his, and she smirked. "Hey... you're crying."

Puck's eyes widened slightly, and then he averted his eyes from hers, scowling. "We don't need to go advertising that part," he muttered. "Besides, you were dying."

She slowly pulled back so that he wasn't holding her anymore, looking embarrassed, but still a bit pleased. "...Does everyone know?" she finally mumbled. It seemed like the kind of thing they'd all know about because of the fairytale detective work. The thought that Relda had sent Puck up here to kiss her and stop the influence sent a wave of mortification through her. And had he actually said something in front of them to make them think he could save her?

Puck felt a sense of loss when she wasn't in his arms anymore, and it only made him feel more flustered and agitated. "Yeah," he said. "I kind of...blurted out some things downstairs."

"..."

Sabrina groaned. Then she slowly got up, sniffling. "I have to apologize to everyone."

Puck looked at her again, then stood up as well. "Hang on," he said. He reached down, brushing his thumbs under her eyes and catching the remaining tears. "Nobody's going to be blaming you for anything you said, so there's no rush."

She sniffled again, her cheeks heating up at his touch. "Why can't you always be this nice to me?"

"I've got a reputation to maintain," Puck said. "Besides, teasing you is a lot of fun. I don't pull those kinds of pranks on just anyone, you know." He finished with her tears, his hand drifting to cup her chin. _'Aging,' _he reminded himself. This was all the fault of aging.

Sabrina averted her eyes for a moment, then looked at him. "I don't like you when you're pulling pranks on me and being mean," she said. "I like you a lot better like this. But I guess that's just the way you are."

Then she bit her lip, tears welling up again. "I can't believe all the things I said… Especially to Daphne…"

"I'm going to have to keep repeating that it wasn't your fault until you believe me, aren't I?" Puck asked. "Jeez, Grimm. You're hopeless."

He put his other hand on her arm, still cupping her arm. Then he lowered his head again and gave her another kiss, hoping to quell her tears. Because honestly, he hated it when she cried, it was one of the best reasons to prank her—no matter how many things she did, she never really cried over it.

The kiss definitely distracted her. Was it just her, or was it getting nicer every time? Especially because there were no screaming monkeys, no fireworks except the ones in her head, and Puck wasn't being a jerk. She didn't cry often, it took a lot to actually make her break down. His pranks had never gotten to her badly enough before or anything, so this was very unusual for her. She usually hid moments like this and cried by herself in a smaller room. Oddly enough, it felt kind of nice to be able to cry in front of him.

Puck closed his eyes, his arms sliding around her as he kissed her. Given that she hadn't hit him yet, it was already a marked improvement from the first one - and there wasn't the additional desperation of her nearly dying that the second one had held. It was just him, Sabrina, and emotion. He parted his lips slightly, seeking more distraction for her, wanting to keep her tears at bay longer.

Sabrina leaned against him, hands coming up to rest just lightly on his shoulders. She could shove him away at any time, but she didn't. She felt thin in his arms, almost too thin. She really didn't know much about kissing other than what she heard from other girls or read about, so she let him lead. He parted his lips? Fine, so did she. Come to think of it, where did _he _learn it?

Sometimes she forgot that maturity aside, he was very very old. Was it actually catching up now that his physical body was aging?

Puck felt his heart flutter in his chest when she parted her lips in return, and responded by tightening his arms around her and deepening the kiss. His hands rested against her back, palms holding her close. She felt...small in his arms. It brought out that protective flare in him, the one he felt whenever she was in trouble.

Sabrina was the one to break the kiss again, gasping softly after a moment. She only broke the kiss because it was getting hard to breathe again. When she pulled back, she opened her eyes to look up at him apprehensively. Her tears had stopped for the moment, but her eyes still glittered with moisture.

Puck opened his eyes as well, meeting hers with a mixture of emotion swirling in them. He didn't let her leave his arms. _'Stupid aging,' _he told himself. But a part of him felt like he couldn't blame it all on growing up, so he decided to just say it.

"I love you, Sabrina Grimm," he said quietly. It wasn't hard to say this time - he'd already admitted it to everyone else, so she deserved to hear it. And after that kiss...well, wow.

Sabrina's lips parted into a little 'o' of surprise at first. That was another moment of him taking her completely off guard. Her cheeks flushed even more, some of her blonde hair falling over her cheek and over one of her eyes a little. "Are you... Do you mean it? This isn't a joke or something?"

"No joke," Puck replied, a cocky smile spreading across his face. He could tell he'd taken her off guard. He loved those moments. "I'm telling it to you straight."

"You're not going to take it back as soon as I get comfortable and do something like--like--like, I don't know, glue a basketball to my head?" she asked apprehensively.

Puck looked at her for a moment. And then his eyes lit up. "Hey, I never thought about gluing a basketball to your head," he said. He grinned. "But don't worry. If I do, it'll be with love."

She drooped. "I don't want you to do it at all."

"^^ A Trickster King has to have his tricks," Puck said cheerfully. He brushed her hair back from her cheek and eyes. "Although I gotta admit...kissing you is more fun than pulling those pranks."

She ducked her head to try and hide the blush, but because he'd moved her hair, it didn't work as well as normal. "mmmvvupk."

Puck raised his eyebrows, and grinned. "What was that?" he asked.

She scowled just a little. "Isdmmovupk."

"I still can't hear you," he teased, his grin widening.

"I SAID, I love you Puck and if you keep it up I'll tell _everyone _you cried," she huffed, ducking her head more.

Puck was outright grinning by now, and he hugged her tightly. Since he really would rather keep those tears between the two of them, he decided to let her off the hook on the teasing for now. "I know," he said. "But I wanted to hear you say it."

"I'll say it more often if you stop pulling pranks on me," she offered, hoping he'd take the deal. She snuggled a bit in his arms. Had it always been this comfy?

":x You drive a really hard bargain," he said, tucking her against him. Somehow he'd managed to grow enough recently that he could do that. He liked being taller, it made him feel more like he could keep her safe.

She sighed softly. "I need to go apologize," she murmured after a moment, pulling back. While hugging Puck was nice, she couldn't hide forever.

"Hey." By this time he'd figured she was going to apologize regardless of what he said, but he wasn't quite done. "It's a deal, by the way. On the pranks.

Her cheeks flushed again. Since when was he so affectionate and sweet? Was he really Puck? She studied him for a moment and decided that it _was _him. But wow. What a difference.

Clearing her throat, she pulled back and headed for the door, trying to make her blush go away before she made it to the dining room where everyone was waiting.

This time Puck let her go - it was time to face the rest of the family, and... he was _not_ used to acting this way. How how how did this one human girl do this to him?

He rubbed the back of his neck, forcing away the blush in his cheeks as well so that it wasn't as apparent that he'd spent half of the time with her kissing her. Oddly though, he wasn't as heartbroken to agree to give up pranking. The way he looked at it, he was basically just trading one favorite pastime for another - and then he grinned as a thought suddenly occurred to him.

_'This is going to be fun,'_ he thought, following her out of the room. His mind was already working on all the ways he was going to make her declare her love for the Trickster King to avoid getting pranked. She was going to be so mad.

He couldn't wait.

But for now, he knew she needed to go talk to her family and figure out that no one was blaming her. That was okay, he could be patient—the results would be well worth it.

***.*.*.*.***

**A/N:**

**Sky: Kee^^ Oh, I may as well disclaimer. I don't own the Sisters Grimm or the characters in it. I _do _own Ayns, Kerdy, Klarissa, and any other OCs that pop out of my brain and take over my stories. No worries though, this isn't OC centered, they're supporting characters. Bwahahaha. Review, it keeps the squirrel revolution at bay!**

**Also, should I shorten the chapters? I usually prefer to read longer ones, but I don't want people to go blind or anything XD**

**God I hate the document manager edit thing. SO MUCH BOLD/DOUBLE SPACING AAGAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!**


	3. Marked

**EDIT: Sky: Re-Added scene skips.**

**A/N:**

**Sky: Another chapter solo-edited by mwah. Ayns hasn't even been on AIM to help me via copy/paste, the bum!**

**Thanks so much for the lovely reviews! Keep 'em coming, more reviews mean more Puck/Sabrina happy fluff! I might slow down the updates, but I'll work extra hard when people review. Enjoy!**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter Three: Marked_**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

Sabrina was quiet when she entered the room, hugging herself. She was wearing a too-large sweater (via Puck's previous pranks) and too-small shorts. When she saw her family in the dining room, tears filled her eyes again. She also looked extremely guilty. She could remember every word she'd said to all of them, and the most hurtful had been to Daphne and Jake. That didn't even count her hurtful actions to Relda…

Jake paused mid sentence and looked over, sensing her approach. Likewise, Kerdy turned, going quiet. They had been discussing backup plans, which included tossing a crying Daphne at Sabrina to see if it might work. Or testing other ways to get rid of the shards.

Daphne jumped to her feet the moment that she saw her sister. As Mr. Canis looked up, Relda stood as well. Daphne didn't need to be told that Sabrina was better now. The look on her face said it all.

She threw herself across the room and flung her arms around Sabrina's waist tightly.

That did it. Sabrina wrapped her arms around Daphne, burying her face in her sister's hair. "I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean any of it, I promise!" She held back the tears, but it was just barely. She hadn't felt so bad in a very long time, and Daphne didn't deserve to suffer like that.

"Not your fault," Daphne said, her voice muffled because her face was shoved into Sabrina's sweater.

"Oh, _liebling,"_ Relda said softly. She went over to them, placing her hand gently on Sabrina's hair and stroking it. "No one blames you."

Kerdy smiled, but it was Jake who got emotional and teary-eyed. He was such a sap.

But the real question on his mind, was how had Puck fixed it? Elvis pranced happily in place, wagging his tail, and Mr. Canis was actually smiling. Neither of them had liked seeing Sabrina in her hatred-haze, and neither of them had liked seeing her in distress either.

Even though Sabrina and Mr. Canis weren't exactly on the best terms, there was clearly affection there.

Puck had his arms crossed over his chest, and he was grinning cockily.

"Did he cry?" Kerdy asked with a grin, seeing that Sabrina was being hugged--and as Jake joined--by every member of her family who was there.

"No," Sabrina said, muffled by Relda... Or maybe Jake? She was hugging them all.

Puck smirked - and Daphne giggled, relief bubbling up inside of her as she hugged Sabrina. "Would you tell us if he did?" Daphne asked her.

"Yes," Sabrina said, because if she said no, she'd be confirming it. Thankfully, no one called them on the fact that there was no other proven method to getting rid of the Goblin's Mirror shards. She hugged Daphne tighter. "Will someone tell me how this happened to me?"

Jake pet her hair. "Easy, 'Brina. You rubbed a hanky from a strange Everafter in your eyes and she put the mirror shards from the Goblin's Mirror in it."

"And fortunately, Daphne and Kerdy were able to supply us with the information needed to put it together and figure out that's what happened," Relda said, looking at Sabrina tenderly. "How do you feel?"

Sabrina flushed awkwardly. Oh right. She was sort of dating Kerdy now. "Kerdy..."

"I should probably get home," Kerdy said with a grin. His expression indicated he knew they would never be more than friends, and that was perfectly okay with him. "You'll be okay. See ya at school tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Sabrina whispered. She closed her eyes, then hugged Daphne and Relda again. It felt good to be hugged.

Daphne nuzzled her sister, squeezing her tightly. She turned her head slightly. "Thanks, Kerdy," she said, so that her voice wasn't so muffled. If he hadn't come over and helped them figure out what was wrong with Sabrina, they might never have fixed it!

"She might need to rest a bit more," Kerdy said. "After all, her heart was ice."

He walked by, putting a hand on Daphne's head. "Take care, Princess."

Daphne blushed a little, and smiled. "^^ I'll take good care of her," she said happily. She was thrilled that her sister was going to be okay.

Puck looked at Kerdy. Was he supposed to thank the other boy, too? Yeah, Kerdy had helped them figure it out, but...Puck was Puck. He wasn't sure when the last time he'd thanked someone had been. And while Kerdy's good-natured smile was no longer a flashing annoyance, he wasn't ready to be best buddies with a former rival.

Kerdy glanced at Puck while he was leaving and gave a nod of acknowledgement. He didn't expect anything, and he didn't mind if Puck was still having issues. After he left, Sabrina pulled back a bit. "I'm really sorry about what I said. I didn't-"

"It's okay, 'Brina," Jake said. "Any time you said you hated us it meant you loved us. Don't worry about it." Even though some of the things she'd said had been very hurtful... He knew it would only hurt her more if he let it get to him.

"Jacob is right, _liebling,"_ Relda murmured, touching Sabrina's cheek. "Nothing that you said was of your own doing. We know the reason why, and we understand."

Mr. Canis nodded slightly in agreement - given the circumstances, he could forgive the things that Sabrina had said and done. Sabrina closed her eyes, still shivering a bit. Then she slumped, passing out. She was still exhausted.

"Oh, dear, she's exhausted," Relda said in concern as she held Sabrina "We'd best get her to bed."

She looked to Puck gratefully. "Thank you, Puck."

Puck's face heated up, and he mumbled something under his breath. While he was normally quick to accept praise and request it, he felt awkward doing it this time.

"I'll take her," Jake said, shifting to pick Sabrina up. "She weighs next to nothing."

Sabrina snuggled close, pale and quiet.

"Yeah, she really doesn't," Puck said automatically. He'd noticed when he'd been holding her just how thin and small she actually was.

"Hm," Jake murmured quietly. He carried Sabrina up to her room and tucked her into bed with a troubled look.

Daphne and Relda followed him into the room, though Mr. Canis and Elvis hung back downstairs. Puck hovered somewhere in between - he was not sure how to go about acting around the rest of the family now, nor was he ready to let Sabrina out of his sight. She was always getting into trouble.

Daphne pulled up a chair next to the bed so that she could watch her sister while she rested, and Relda looked at Jake. She could see his look, and it concerned her. Was there something else presenting a problem?

Jake tousled Daphne's hair, then left the room, telling the others he'd be back soon. He came home later with some more groceries, not explaining himself. When bedtime came around, they had to insist Daphne actually go to bed instead of just watch over Sabrina. The older girl was still sleeping. Daphne pouted, but eventually she gave in and crawled into bed - she'd moved right back into the room with her sister now.

Relda kissed both girls good night on the cheek, without waking Sabrina, and then slipped out of the room. She smiled when she saw that Puck was leaning against the wall next to the bedroom door, and didn't look like he was going to be moving. Then Relda went to her son. "What is on your mind?" she asked softly, looking at him. The house was quiet now - Mr. Canis had gone into the sanctuary of his room, and Elvis was passed out on the floor in the living room.

"Well," Jake said. "I noticed Sabrina doesn't quite have her sister's appetite. I thought maybe I she'll eat food she's more used to, like from her home."

Relda looked over at the fridge, giving pause as she considered that. "Ah, so that's why you went out to the store," she said. "What sorts of things did you buy?"

"Regular kid food," Jake teased, kissing her forehead. "Mac'n cheese, hot dogs, hamburgers..."

Relda looked a bit flustered. "I don't know if I've ever cooked any of those," she said honestly. She'd cooked the exotic foods she'd learned during her travels with her husband for so long that _they_ seemed perfectly normal to her.

"Don't worry about it, everyone loves your cooking mom," Jake flashed her a charming grin. "I'll take care of cooking for 'Brina for a bit, until she gets a bit more settled."

"Thank you, Jacob," Relda said sincerely. She looked up at her son. "I want Sabrina to be happy here, I really do."

Jake gave her a hug. "Let's get some rest," he said warmly. "Crisis averted."

***.*.*.*.***

Sabrina shifted awake in bed, not making a sound or moving. She took several minutes to reflect on everything that had happened recently. It seemed surreal. All the hatred she had felt, the ugliness she thought she'd seen… None of it was even real. According to everyone else, it was the opposite. Meaning once they'd figured out about the Goblin's Mirror, they weren't mad at her anymore, but everyone had realized how deeply she'd fallen for Puck.

She curled up quietly on the bed, one hand slowly going to her lips. Her fingers brushed against them, and they felt softer than normal.

It was hard to believe that so much could change in such a short time. For her, it was like overnight her sworn enemy and number one tormenter had changed into her very own prince charming. Sabrina resisted the urge to giggle. Okay maybe that was exaggerating. He was still Puck, the messy boy who liked to play tricks and thought he was King of the universe, it was just instead of making Sabrina's life miserable, he was going to try and be sweet.

She pulled her hand away from her lips. Was this part of growing up? She'd been noticing boys for a while, and though she'd never admit it out loud, she'd been noticing Puck just as long, maybe longer. She'd been trying to brush her hair more and use a bit of makeup, often trying to see what clothes made her look more like a girl. More like her mother. The thought made her pause in mid-giddy-Puck-likes-me mode. It was still a bit confusing-after all she thought she'd be horrified to find out she actually liked Puck that way, but the kisses and the tears had really made up for it and really convinced her…

Would it be permanent? Or just a temporary phase for the prankster boy? And the bigger question: What did she want it to be?

It wasn't like she was looking for someone to spend the rest of her life with, she was still only eleven… twelve…ish. Even if she and Puck claimed to love each other, what did they really know? And besides, once Veronica and Henry woke up, they'd get to leave Ferryport Landing, and given Jake and Henry's history with that very issue, she doubted she'd ever get Puck back to New York with her.

Maybe she was just over-thinking it. She needed to relax and stay in the moment. Besides, given enough near-death experiences and tension, she supposed the romance was something that couldn't be avoided. Maybe experience and proximity would make up for time.

Sabrina wished she could have asked her mother's advice, but her mother wasn't going to be able to give it. That thought made her feel hopeless and weighed down again, and it took her a little while to get her tough mindset back on. It wasn't like she wanted anyone to see her vulnerable moments, they'd all seen enough of those lately.

Still…She got out of bed quietly, slowly making her way from the room in her pajamas. She was pretty grateful that Daphne wouldn't have heard her if she'd driven a bulldozer from the room, but she snuck anyway. It was a good thing, too, because Puck was still outside the door when she left, sleeping against the wall with his mouth open and his hair over his eyes.

Except for the obnoxious snoring, Sabrina couldn't help but notice just how cute he looked when he wasn't talking.

Shaking her head, she continued down the hall. There was one place she could still be vulnerable without feeling ashamed.

***.*.*.*.***

In the morning, Sabrina's bed was empty-she was usually up way before it was time to go to school, but she wasn't in the kitchen either, and there was no evidence she'd been down there already to make her breakfast. Jake was in the kitchen instead, and he hadn't seen Sabrina.

Daphne hurried downstairs into the kitchen, looking around. "Uncle Jake," she said, dressed and ready for school and looking very confused, "Did Sabrina come down for breakfast already?"

She'd tripped over Puck on her way out of the room, which had prompted him to wake up and get ready for school - assuming Sabrina had also gone downstairs, he hadn't come down to look for her yet.

Upstairs, Puck came out of his room, muttered as he tried to get his hair going in one direction. He had a slight crick in his neck from sleeping against the wall. He looked around - he could hear Daphne downstairs, but he didn't see Sabrina.

"Not yet, isn't she in her room?" Jake asked in surprise. "Have you checked with Puck?"

"Puck was sleeping in the hallway, she wasn't in bed when I woke up," Daphne asked. She nibbled on her lower lip. "Maybe she's still upstairs and in the bathroom or something."

Jake paused, then looked to Daphne. "Don't worry about her, ok? She'll be fine."

Daphne looked up at Jake, and then smiled. "I just don't want anything else to happen to her, Uncle Jake," she said.

"Trust me Daphne, she's safe here, she's probably off doing something before school starts," Jake said. "Waffle?" He'd made regular waffles with syrup.

Daphne blinked. "You're making breakfast, Uncle Jake?" she asked. Usually Granny did. And Granny had never made regular waffles.

Her stomach growled.

"I thought a change of pace might be nice, usually your granny and I will both make breakfast," Jake told her. "Have a seat."

"Yum!" Daphne threw herself into her chair. "Where's Granny? Still sleeping?" With the agreement that Jake would take care of breakfast that morning, Relda was sleeping in a bit - the emotion of the previous day's events had been tiring.

Puck came into the room, his wings out and fluttered behind him. He sniffed the air, smelled the waffles, and then ruffled Daphne's hair. "Hey, marshmallow," he said. "Your sister down here yet?" He looked around.

"She wasn't in bed when I got up," Daphne replied. Jake's assurance that Sabrina was probably okay had helped her worry.

"She hasn't come down yet," Jake said. "And your Granny's sleeping in."

He put a plate of waffles on the table for them.

Puck looked at the waffles, then reached out and grabbed one, not bothering to use a fork. "She hasn't come down yet?" he repeated, devouring the waffle within moments, as Daphne doused hers with maple syrup. He scowled. Had he slept through her waking up?

"Nope," Jake said. "I thought she was in her room," he shrugged. He doubted she'd left early, but... What if she had?

"Eh, she's probably just taking her time," Puck said. "I'll go up and prod her along so that we're not late." Before Daphne could say anything, Puck headed back upstairs in search of Sabrina. If he found out she'd left the house first, he was not going to be happy unless she had a really good reason.

But Sabrina wasn't in her room--it looked like she hadn't been in it for a while. Puck looked puzzled - and he couldn't really hear any indication of where she was, either. And so he began a very systematic check of the various rooms that he thought Sabrina might be in - and some that weren't very likely, like the hall closet. He gave the bathroom a quick glance at, too, but it was pretty obvious she wasn't there either, and he got out of it quickly.

Then he paused outside of Henry and Veronica Grimm's room. It was the last place that he hadn't checked. Quietly he put his hand on the doorknob and then turned it, easing the door open and peering inside. Sabrina was fast asleep, curled up in a chair with her arms folded near her father. She had her face resting on her arm, hair trailing down her back. She was still in her pajamas, and she looked like she'd been crying.

Puck straightened up in the doorway, standing there for a moment and looking at Sabrina. Then he quietly slipped into the room and closed the door. He walked over to Sabrina and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Mmph," Sabrina mumbled. She started to sit up, looking groggy and uncomfortable from her positioning. "Huh?"

"Hey, Grimm," Puck said, looking down at her. "It's morning already. He didn't pull his hand back from her shoulder.

"Oh..." Sabrina rubbed at her eyes sleepily. "You're not going to dunk me in slime today are you? I'm too tired."

"Nah, I overslept and didn't have time to think of anything," he said. "Besides, remember last night? We made a deal."

Her cheeks flushed and she looked awkward. "What? Oh yeah. So you're serious about that. Anyway let's go to breakfast."

She moved to get up, making no move to actually tell him she loved him like the deal stated.

Puck suddenly caught her arms and made her keep sitting, leaning down over her. "Hey, hey," he said with a grin on his face. "I'm keeping my end of the deal, so you better keep yours."

She stared up at him. "Wh-what? Right here?" she asked, scowling. When he didn't budge, she groaned. ".Let's go now," she said quickly.

Puck grinned, his eyes dancing mischievously. "Not bad," he said. "A little rushed, but I'll let it slide cause you're tired. I expect the next one to be much more detailed and heartfelt, but..." He didn't finish the sentence, instead leaning forward without warning and giving her a kiss.

Sabrina abruptly froze. Her first instinct was to shove him off and stomp on him... But then she felt the giddy happy wonderfulness that was Puck's kiss, and her eyes fluttered shut.

Puck closed his eyes, his wings fluttering. He'd meant for the kiss to be quick, but the moment his lips were on hers quick was not in his vocabulary.

Sabrina sighed softly, happily, then pulled back. Deciding to be bold, she averted her eyes, but spoke clearly. "Fine. I love you Puck, King of Tricksters. Now can we go have breakfast?"

Puck grinned. "I like the way that sounds," he said, ego inflated and attitude cocky. "Sure, let's go have breakfast." He straightened up and stepped back so that she could get up. "Your sister's been down there for awhile though, she probably ate a lot of it."

Sabrina made a face. "That's okay, she likes it more than I do," she muttered, standing up and dusting off. "I'm going to go get dressed really quick. By the way if you plan to kiss me, brush your teeth first, it tasted like old feet."

"I'll wait in the hall," Puck decided, going over to the door and pulling it open. "And I thought that was how you normally tasted, you kinda smell like old feet."

"You are the King of Suck," Sabrina scowled at him, ignoring his pleased grin.

Sabrina hurried into her room. Then she paused as a thought struck her, and she realized not all of his old pranks had completely worn off. "...Could you fix my clothes?" she asked with a sigh. "I mean, no more pranks right?" Even though it was a prank that he'd _already _done.

Puck paused for a moment. He hated to see a good prank just end like that, but... "Let me have another kiss and sure," he said. He grinned at her. Old feet and all.

She scowled. "Oi, forget I asked."

She slammed the door in his face and went to the drawers. She'd... Find something to wear. Somehow. Puck grinned at the closed door, then turned around and tucked his hands behind his head, leaning against the wall as he waited her. If he wasn't going to get a kiss, she'd get to have miss-sized clothing for awhile longer.

Sabrina came out a moment later, hoping _maybe _this would work. "Happy now?" Without bothering to stop, she headed for the stairs. The skirt she was wearing looked incredibly cute--but it also cut off RIGHT under her butt with a little flare. She had on an oversized sweater that cut off near her hips, but because of how large it was, the neckline left her shoulders and upper chest exposed. She'd also put on a tight tank-top underneath that felt more like a girdle, and it was the only reason why her outfit was only kind of indecent and not just indecent.

Other boys would be looking—heck, she felt naked.

Puck's jaw dropped as he watched her go by, his eyes nearly falling out of his head. She couldn't be _serious! _He flew in front of her, cutting her off. "Whoa, whoa, whoa," he said. "What is _that?_ Are you nuts? You can't wear that to school!"

"I don't have anything else," She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. Which was beginning to develop a little more, and was very noticeable in her current getup. "Too bad."

Puck's eyes dropped momentarily towards her chest - and he whipped them right back up to her face. "You have a whole closet full of clothes," he said angrily.

"And for some reason, none of them fit," she said coolly. "Whose fault is that?"

Puck scowled. "That's playing dirty," he said. But the thought of any other guys noticing Sabrina like that - that didn't sit well with him. Bad enough he had to deal with Kerdy. He was just getting the hang of the whole 'dating' thing, he didn't need to complicate it with competition. It wasn't like he thought too many people would actually like Sabrina, but why chance it? He didn't need the stress, it was supposed to be simple. He was hot, he was awesome, she swooned for him, no complications. A foolproof plan!

He put his feet firmly on the ground and snapped his fingers, returning the clothes she was wearing to their proper sizes, as well as everything else in her room. The skirt immediately went down to Sabrina's knees, the tank top loosened but was still visible as the sweater shrank so that just her collarbone and some of her shoulder were visible instead of how much had been visible before. She looked relieved.

Puck let out a sigh of relief. "Much better," he said. "Yeah, you should keep that much skin covered at all times. Maybe more. At least at school." He nodded. "Do you want to borrow a big coat?"

She rolled her eyes at him and headed down for breakfast. Her stomach gave a sudden growl when she realized what she was smelling, and she hoped it did not look like blue sludge...

Daphne looked up brightly when Sabrina came in. "Look, Uncle Jake made waffles," she said. "And I saved you and Puck some!"

Sabrina stared. Then she half-charged the table, sitting down and grabbing a stack of waffles. "Real waffles?"

Puck stared after Sabrina. He'd never seen her move that fast towards food.

"I'm giving your granny a break for a bit with the cooking," Jake said. "We'll both make stuff on a regular basis."

"And maple syrup, too," Daphne said, pushing the syrup to her sister.

Sabrina immediately dished out some butter, maple syrup, and powdered sugar. She cleaned the plate like she'd never eaten food before--it was the most anyone had ever seen her eat since her parents had gone missing. Puck's jaw practically dropped, looking at her in disbelief. She was eating like...like Daphne!

"Wow, Sabrina, you really missed waffles, didn't you?" Daphne asked, watching her sister.

"Are you kidding? of course I did, it's real food!" Sabrina said, grabbing her glass of milk to wash it down.

_'Thought so,' _Jake thought, watching Sabrina out of the corner of his eye.

Daphne giggled, then looked at Puck. "Puck," she said, "Your mouth is hanging open."

Puck snapped his mouth shut instantly and threw himself into his chair, reaching for his own waffles. Sabrina looked over at Puck, embarrassed, She'd never eaten like a pig in front of him before. She waited for him to say something mean—normally she wouldn't have cared, but now they were kinda dating. That made her a little more self-conscious.

Puck had his mouth full of waffles by this point, getting them into his mouth so fast that no one had seen it. He looked at Sabrina, paused in chewing, and then pointed at the waffles on her plate. "Foo fowa fee fa?"

She wasn't sure what he'd said, but she immediately snatched her plate closer and started in on the remains of her waffles. Puck blinked, then shrugged and hurried to finish his breakfast.

Relda stood in the doorway, watching the three of them with a smile. She looked at Jake. Seeing Sabrina eating like that was heartwarming.

Once breakfast was over, Sabrina cleaned up and headed outside with Daphne and Puck to go to school.

Kerdy was waiting for them, grinning and waving. "Morning!"

"Morning Kerdy," Sabrina said casually.

"Hi, Kerdy," Daphne said brightly. She was walking on one side of Sabrina, and Puck had placed himself on the other side. He was on the lookout for anyone who might look at Sabrina in an improper way, even with her much more appropriate clothing. Her little stunt that morning had him paranoid.

Again, he blamed it on growth.

"How are you today?" Kerdy asked, falling into step with them.

"I'm feeling a lot better," Sabrina said.

"Sabrina slept for a long time," Daphne said, switching into full ramble mode. "I watched her sleep, and Puck sat outside in the hallway."

Kerdy grinned down at Daphne, not at all disturbed by her rambling.

"And I tried to stay up all night to watch her, but Granny made me go to sleep." Daphne shook her head.

"That was very sweet of you, Princess," Kerdy said.

Sabrina glanced back down at the ground, and didn't say much on the walk to the school. She let Kerdy and Daphne handle all the talking, since they clearly had much more to say.

Klarissa was waiting at the gates for them, eyes narrowed. Her hair was a shiny platinum blonde that fell past her elbows, and she was older—looking at least Kerdy's age. Her ice-blue eyes were focused on them, pale complexion absolutely flawless, body slender and graceful.

Daphne's smile vanished when they got to the gates of the school and saw Klarissa, recognizing her. Puck moved closer to Sabrina instantly, his hand catching her arm as he narrowed his eyes in Klarissa's direction. He could be easygoing about a lot of things - but Klarissa had nearly killed Sabrina with what she had done.

Sabrina looked at Puck in surprise, then turned, seeing Klarissa. She hadn't been paying attention until that point, and now, she realized Klarissa did look familiar. So. That was the girl that had put pieces of the goblin's mirror in the handkerchief?

Kerdy had trailed off mid sentence, and he walked up to Klarissa, putting a hand on Daphne's shoulder first to let her know he wanted her to stay behind.

"She's really pretty," Sabrina commented to Daphne. "Kinda like a porcelain doll."

Daphne bit her lip, looking at Kerdy and then moving closer to Sabrina. "She's the one gave you the rag with the mirror pieces in it," she whispered to her sister.

Sabrina didn't bother to call Daphne on stating the obvious. She was wondering what Kerdy and Klarissa would say to each other. They were just squaring off in silence for now.

Puck watched them and frowned impatiently. "What is he doing?" he asked. He didn't release Sabrina's arm, and he was standing slightly in front of her now, too.

Sabrina shrugged her shoulders, reaching over and resting her hand on his, the one on her arm. She also tried to maneuver so she was at his side rather than behind him, but he was making it difficult. She only stopped her struggle for equality or dominance when she heard them speak.

"So," Klarissa said. "That's a Grimm."

"Yes," Kerdy said. "And you have it wrong. Not that anything's going to happen between us, but nothing's happening with me and Sabrina either."

"I didn't know she was a Grimm when I gave her the shards," Klarissa said. "I would have been much more direct."

Kerdy went rigid. "Klarissa, what are you saying?"

Puck's protective instincts were going off, and he felt himself tensing. He was getting the feeling that there could be _nothing_ good coming from this. Daphne's eyes widened slightly - they could hear Kerdy and Klarissa. Direct? What was she talking about?

"Just that this isn't over," Klarissa said, pushing her silky and snowy hair from her shoulder. "I mark Sabrina Grimm because she had the audacity to think she could ever be with you, and because she's a Grimm. Regardless of the outcome, she insulted me."

"Klarissa you can't be serious!" Kerdy grabbed her arm. "Just leave them out of this, it's about your family and mine, they don't have anything to do with it...!"

She gave a sweet little smile. "Don't touch me, Kerdy."

Then she turned on her heel and walked into the school, leaving him behind.

Sabrina swallowed. What did it mean, she'd been marked? What the heck was a mark? Like a mark on a record, or a black mark on someone's face? Well, it had to be better than the beard and mustache Puck had given her before, that was a mark, right?

Somehow she didn't think it was going to be nearly as harmless.

Daphne's eyes were huge, and she moved closer to Sabrina. She stared at Kerdy, watching Klarissa leave, an uneasy feeling settling in her stomach.

"What was that all about?" Puck demanded. He didn't like the sound of that. Mark? What? He was just as clueless as Sabrina when it came to knowing what Klarissa meant.

Kerdy turned to look at them and sighed. "Klarissa and her mother want to leave here more than most. They usually keep to themselves completely... And they're both witches. Every member of that family has magical talent, but I don't know much about them because I try to avoid them as much as humanly possible. I don't know what she marked Sabrina for, but it's not going to be good."

"Like... Voodoo?" Sabrina yelped, his words sinking in.

"Something like that," Kerdy sighed.

"Voodoo?" Daphne squeaked, picturing a little doll-Sabrina with pins in it.

"Okay, so, how do we unmark her?" Puck demanded.

"You're asking me? I'm the youngest kid of the most un-magic Everafters I can think of, I have no idea," Kerdy said, sounding distressed.

"Well, yeah, but..." Puck scowled. Kerdy had known how to handle the other thing that Klarissa had done. Why couldn't he figure this out too?

Daphne looked up at Kerdy with wide eyes. "Do you know who we could ask?" she asked him. She didn't want voodoo done on Sabrina.

"Your grandma probably," Kerdy said. "But I don't know what Klarissa plans to do, or when."

"All because I went on like two dates with you?" Sabrina asked warily.

"I didn't think she'd do this... I'm sorry, Sabrina," Kerdy said softly. "She hasn't bothered me for over two years."

"It's not your fault, Kerdy," Daphne said - he looked so sad about it, she couldn't stand having him feel bad! He was so nice…

Puck snorted. "She's got another thing coming if she thinks she's going to do anything while the Trickster King is around," he said. Sabrina was under _his_ protection. No one was allowed to mess with her except for him.

Sabrina sighed again. Then she realized she was still practically holding onto Puck's hand. She quickly let go. "Let's just go to class."

"Maybe Miss White will know something," Daphne said thoughtfully, thinking about her beloved teacher. Her mind was already going the several routes that it went on when trying to figure out leads.

Puck looked at Sabrina, and then nodded. Going to class wasn't a bad thing, he was in all of hers. "Okay," he said, glancing over her to make sure her clothes were still appropriate. Seeing her like that this morning had made him oh-so-slightly paranoid, and Klarissa's threat wasn't helping. He'd probably be scowling in her direction every five minutes to make sure she wasn't naked or dying.

Sabrina didn't even hear Daphne. She was too worried, and it showed on her face. She went into the school, pulling her arm away and hugging herself. Why did Everafters always have to do this? She couldn't stand it.

Puck kept pace with her, as they made their way to their own class. "Hey," he said quietly, keeping his voice low. "Don't worry. Whatever she's planning, we'll figure it out and stop it like always. I mean, you have me watching your back, Grimm, and I'm the best."

"I'm not worried," Sabrina lied, looking away. "She's just some crazy Everafter."

Puck raised an eyebrow. "Hey, you don't have to hide it from me," he said, not buying the lie for one minute. It was written all over her face, after all. The fact that she wasn't being open with him irritated him. Why did she try to hide her feelings? It wasn't fair if he couldn't hide his, and she was used to growing up, he wasn't!

"I'm not hiding anything," she answered defensively. What good would it do? He was sweet behind closed doors, but his precious reputation would probably be more important in public. After all, he loved it when girls flocked to him in admiration too... Would he still?

She fought back the violent jealousy at that thought.

"Uh huh," Puck said in a clear 'I don't believe you' tone. "Well, whether you're worried or not, don't be." He smirked. "I handled her once and I can do it again."

She quirked a slight grin, then headed into the room and took her seat, pulling out her homework. He hadn't handled Klarissa… He'd handled a mirror. But far be it from her to call him on something and risk just annoying him more. The best way to get anything from him was to feed his ego—the golden rule of Puck.

Puck walked over to his seat and dropped himself down into it, stretching out his legs and looking utterly casual. He flashed a grin as he looked around the room. He had to admit there was a bright side to school - lots and lots of attention. A few girls waved to him shyly, smiling. Puck was very handsome when he cleaned up.

Sabrina frowned a bit, but she didn't say anything. She did end up punishing the pencil she'd pulled out, and she quickly moved to sharpen it again before Puck noticed. It wasn't fair, they finally admitted they had a love thing going on, and he still got to act like this at school?

A few girls just happened to glance at Sabrina. What they saw was a scowling, angry girl glaring back at them. Several backed off--and this was all before class started.

Puck blinked, noticing that some of the girls were backing off and diminishing the attention he was getting. He looked over at Sabrina, catching sight of her glare. And he couldn't help but grin at that. Was she jealous?

After that, class started and Sabrina went back to paying attention to school. By the third class, she was scowling full time at how much attention he had from the girls, and she'd gone through an entire pencil. Something Puck had snickered to himself about.

Sabrina didn't notice that as they made their way to lunch that a few guys had started checking her out as well. Not in an overly obvious way of course, she was still just a kid—but the other kids her age thought she looked okay.

Sabrina might not have noticed the guys checking her out, but Puck most definitely did. His own expression darkening from this observation, Puck walked alongside Sabrina, keeping pace with her. And then, just to make absolutely sure that there was _no_ mistaking that Sabrina Grimm was off limits, Puck draped his arm across Sabrina's shoulders as they walked, acting like he owned her.

His body language exuded only two words to every boy who so much as looked at Sabrina with any thoughts that could be more than platonic: Back Off.

Sabrina's expression was comical. She turned to look up at him in confusion, but didn't stop walking. "Puck?" She had been slipping and forgetting to call him Robin during school, but no one seemed to care.

"What?" Puck asked, making no move to pull back his arm or change his walking pace.

"Why?" she asked simply, blinking. There was no need to elaborate.

"Why not?" Puck responded, not bothering to explain himself further. There wasn't any reason to explain as far as he was concerned.

"Plenty of reasons why not," she huffed, ducking from his arm and walking on her own. "Since when do you do anything like that in public anyway?"

"Why shouldn't I?" Puck countered, scowling when she ducked away. "I'm a king - when I want to do something I do it, and I don't need to give a reason for it."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever Puck. Why don't you go flaunt being a king to all your admiring fans."

Puck looked at her for a moment, and a cocky grin spread across his face. "Why, Grimm," he said teasingly, "I do believe you're _jealous_."

Sabrina's cheeks colored immediately. "I-I am not!" she stammered, stomping her foot.

"Then why is your face turning that shade?" Puck teased. "Admit it, Grimm. You're jealous of the attention that I get from the other girls."

Sabrina was about to snap, when she suddenly realized what he had done, and how she had been acting to make him realize her jealousy. It made sense! She paused mid-stride, finally turning to look at him. "Holy cow. _You're _jealous!" she realized. "That's why you put your arm around me, isn't it?"

Pucks' eyes widened. "I am not jealous!" he sputtered, his face turning red now in protest.

"Oh really?" Sabrina taunted. "You're so jealous you're blushing!"

"I am not blushing!" Puck exclaimed in protest, scowling furiously as he suddenly found the teasing shoe switched. "What about you? You've been glaring at the other girls since first period!"

She flushed again. "I have not," she insisted. "And what about you, grabbing onto me like I'm going to run away? Hah!"

She flipped her hair and stalked over to the table she usually sat at. Kerdy wasn't there.

Puck followed her over to the table, pulling out a chair and dropping down into it. "I'm going to get you to admit it, Grimm," he said, giving her a pointed look.

Daphne was already sitting at the lunch table, her eyes slightly wide as she looked at Sabrina and Puck. She tried to stifle a giggle, and it didn't quite work.

"Never in a million years," Sabrina said calmly, looking at her bagged lunch.

"Oh yeah?" Puck countered. "You really think I won't be able to get it out of you?" He gave her a challenging look. There was no way he was going to admit to being jealous, but he wasn't about to let her off the hook.

"I'll admit it if you will," she said finally, looking at him with a challenging look.

"Uh uh," Puck said with a smirk. "_That's_ not the way these things work."

She rolled her eyes. "I wonder where Kerdy is. He's usually here first."

Daphne managed to get her giggles under control, her shoulders shaking a little. She couldn't help it, Sabrina and Puck were a riot. "I haven't seen him since this morning," she said. "I was really surprised that he wasn't here first."

Sabrina bit her lip, thinking back to how shaken and guilty Kerdy had looked when he'd talked to Klarissa. "I'm worried."

She couldn't keep the concern from her eyes. "After what happened with Klarissa this morning, I wonder where he went..."

"Do you think something happened to him?" Daphne asked anxiously. "That maybe she did something?"

"She better not have," Sabrina said crossly. "She's getting on my nerves."

"I dunno," Puck said, "it doesn't seem very likely that she'd do something to _him_."

Daphne bit her lip. "That's true...you're the one she doesn't like, Sabrina." She looked at her sister anxiously.

"I'll be fine," Sabrina said, scowling. "It's not like Everafters haven't tried to kill us before."

Puck frowned slightly at that. Every instance where Sabrina and Daphne had nearly gotten themselves killed suddenly started popping up into his head. It seemed a lot more common now. Especially Sabrina—she was a trouble magnet.

"Still..." Daphne looked around the lunchroom for Kerdy again. "We should ask Granny about this mark thing after we get home, and look through the books."

"Okay," Sabrina said. "Sounds like a plan to me." She glanced at her lunch for a moment, holding in a sigh. She wished they could just go home, do homework, play around like normal kids, and not have to research fairytales to find out why some other psycho wanted her dead. Not to mention finding a way to save their parents from a sleep spell that had torn their family apart and forced two young girls to grow up fast or be caught in the crossfires…

Daphne looked at Sabrina. She didn't seem very happy...not that Daphne could blame her, Klarissa _had_ decided to target Sabrina specifically. She just didn't realize that Sabrina was unhappy for so many different reasons.

Puck watched Sabrina for a moment, and then reached over and promptly snatched up part of her lunch. He might not have realized what was upsetting her specifically, but he'd noticed that she was upset.

Sabrina blinked. Then her head snapped up. "Hey, give that back!" She reached out to grab it back from him.

Puck grinned, holding it out of her reach. "Why?" he asked. "You were just staring at it. Can't let it go to waste!"

"Puck!" Sabrina complained, leaning over and grabbing his wrist.

Then she froze, stopping in mid-lunge over the table. Her eyes went out of focus briefly, grip tightening on Puck in alarm.

All of a sudden the laughter died from Puck's face, and he stopped trying to hold her food hostage. "Hey, Grimm," he said. "Grimm!"

"Sabrina?" Daphne asked anxiously, staring at her sister.

Sabrina didn't move from the spot, her eyes a little wide. She looked up... Ish. Then waved her free hand in front of her face, panic filling her expression.

Puck and Daphne were both on their feet at her panicked expression, Daphne already at her side. Puck decided since she wasn't letting go, he'd just go over the table to her. It took one good boost from the chair, then a jump to be at her side—an antic that made other younger kids clap.

Sabrina, what's wrong?" Daphne asked, as Puck put his other hand on her shoulder.

"I can't see!" Sabrina said, her voice a little shrill. She blindly groped for Daphne's arm with one hand.

Daphne stared at her sister in disbelief, grasping Sabrina's hand when she reached for her arm.

"What?" Puck let go of her shoulder, and then automatically waved his free hand in front of her face.

Sabrina didn't react at all. She honestly couldn't see what Puck was doing, even though her eyes weren't white and the expressions and thoughts could still be easily read. At once, she started to tremble. "Am I blind?" she asked in a small voice.

Daphne looked a little fearful - Sabrina really couldn't see?

"There's probably a reasonable explanation for this," Puck said. "I think we better get you home, though." Sudden blindness was definitely not normal - there had to be magic involved. Which meant home, and not school, was the place to be.

Sabrina stood, slowly untangling herself from the lunch table and not releasing either of them. "What if the teachers won't excuse me? We need to call Granny.." her voice wavered again. Not being able to see was causing a lot of stress.

"Leave all of that to us," Puck said. "Relax, okay? Marshmallow, help me get her to a phone so that we can give the old lady a call."

Daphne nodded, her eyes wide. "It's okay, Sabrina," she said. "We'll fix this."

Even with their reassurances, Sabrina refused to let go of either of them. She was completely panicked.

"Hey, come on," Puck said, seeing that she was getting more and more panicked by the second. "She's right, we'll fix this. After all, I'm so handsome and dashing and utterly amazing that'd it be an absolute crime if you aren't able to see me."

"..." Sabrina cracked a smile. "Yeah whatever," she said, slowly letting go of Daphne so the other girl could hopefully get their grandmother there. "This is more like an improvement."

As Daphne dashed off to find the nearest phone so that she could call Relda, Puck took full charge on leading Sabrina safely out of the cafeteria without her tripping over anything.

"An improvement over _me?_" he asked in mock astonishment. "There's no such thing!"

Sabrina could not resist, even though logic told her she should not openly goad and tease the person helping her when she couldn't see. "Mustardseed is really cute."

Puck's jaw dropped, and his eyes widened. "You did _not_ just compare me to my brother and say that he was cute!" he exclaimed. That was SO low!

Sabrina smirked. "Jealous?" she asked, keeping a tight grip on him.

"Never," he vowed. Since she couldn't see him, she wouldn't see that his eyes were focused on her, and that he was making absolutely sure that she wasn't going to trip and get hurt. "I'll take it as a compliment. Everyone knows that I'm ten times more handsome than Mustardseed, so if you say he's really cute, then you must think I'm utterly gorgeous."

She mock-gagged, but the banter was keeping her from panicking further. "Where are we even going?" she asked.

"Out front to wait for a ride," Puck said, having led her out of the lunchroom and now towards the main entrance of the school. "Just keep putting one foot in front of the other, we'll get there."

Sabrina fell silent for a few moments. Then she clutched him a bit tighter. "I don't like not being able to see," she murmured. "It reminds me of some bad stuff."

"Bad stuff?" Puck repeated. They were alone now, the halls deserted with everyone at lunch. He figured Daphne would catch up to them, but she hadn't done so yet.

"One of the foster families Daphne and I were sent to like a year ago kept us blindfolded a lot so we wouldn't know the locations when they were selling drugs," she rambled. "We ran away from them but man it freaked me out a lot. They used us as drug mules."

"They did what?" Puck asked. They'd reached the front doors, and he guided her to a stop so that they wouldn't walk right into them. "What do you mean, drug mules?"

"It means we were minors so if we got caught with drugs on us, they couldn't put us in a hardcore jail. Drug dealers usually use minors to traffic the product. They weren't even the worst, but I just hate not being able to see when I'm trying to go somewhere, when Daphne and I were running away I still had the blindfold on and I stepped on a bad piece of floor and fell through it and that's part of the reason I really hate when I end up falling long distances. Daphne handled it much better than I did.." She couldn't stop rambling. She'd been a lot less experienced in running away back then. "At least they didn't have ferrets."

"Do I even want to ask about ferrets?" Puck asked.

Since there was no one around, and she was rambling, he slipped one of his arms around her, not taking the other arm from her grasp. After all, no one was going to see it, not even Sabrina. A minute later, he realized even if she didn't see the concern, she could surely feel it. Stupid aging.

"I'm not scared of ferrets, I just hate them," Sabrina said, blushing a bit when she felt the nice gesture. "But we had a foster family that thought the ferrets were their babies. They bit and scratched and peed on us. In fact, we got bitten and scratched and peed on a lot, not just by ferrets. Daphne and I got put in foster homes a lot so they could get the money checks from the government, no one really wanted us."

She shifted. "This is the longest we've stayed anywhere since mom and dad..." she trailed off, not wanting to finish that thought.

"It's better here than in those other places though, isn't it?" Puck asked. He didn't ask if she liked it in Ferryport Landing. She made it pretty clear that she didn't, overall. "So you may as well not complain."

"It's better here than most places," she mumbled. "But I just want to go home. With mom and dad.."

"Your parents will wake up," Puck said, but he was scowling again. Home. New York—a place he couldn't follow.

"It just seems so hopeless," Sabrina sighed. Then she paused, as if she could feel his scowl. "If it helps.... I like it a lot better here when you're like this."

Puck grinned. "Of course you do," he said, his voice light so that she wouldn't be able to hear how much he liked hearing that—it was in his voice. "Who wouldn't? I'm awesome that way."

She cracked a grin. "I was horrified when I realized I was starting to like you, ya know."

"You and I have that in common," Puck said fervently. "If anyone had told me a year ago that I'd feel this way about anyone I'd have had the pixies dump them in the river."

"You tried to do that to me once," she said dryly.

"Aren't you glad now that I didn't?" Puck teased.

She was quiet for a few moments. Then she leaned into him a bit. "Here, give me your hand."

She let go of his arm, hand trembling a bit as she tried to find his.

Puck looked confused, but he moved his hand so that it was touching hers. He could feel her hand trembling.

She put her hand in his, then interlaced their fingers so that they were holding hands the way couples did. "There."

Puck looked down at their hands, and then gave them a small squeeze."Not bad," he said, not minding the gesture and making no move to pull away his hand.

Sabrina blushed a little, suddenly feeling awkward. "We may as well sit down," she murmured, ducking her head.

"Uh, yeah," Puck said, flushing as well and terribly glad that she couldn't see it this time. He led her over to one of the benches near the doors, helping her sit down on it. He didn't let go of her hand.

Sabrina was both glad and a little upset that she hadn't been able to see his face. She wondered if he was embarrassed or grossed out.

Having a boyfriend(boyfairy?) was a lot more stress than she'd thought it would be. It was a whole new kind of stress, and it gave her a lot more respect for her mother. After all, Veronica Grimm had survived dating to marriage to motherhood.

Sabrina briefly wondered if Veronica had ever wanted to punch Henry in the gut. Hopefully not...

Daphne showed up a few minutes later, stopping for a moment to just watch Sabrina and Puck sitting together on the bench, holding hands. She smiled, and then hurried up to them. "Granny and Mr. Canis will be here soon," she said. "I had to go all the way to the office to call Granny so that she could tell them a reason why we had to leave early. I told Granny all about Klarissa's curse thing, and that you can't see."

"Thanks," Sabrina said. "So do you really think this is just some temporary voodoo from that girl?" she asked.

Daphne nodded. "I bet that's what it is," she said. "It's like an enchantment. And all enchantments can get broken in some way, we just have to find the right one." She refused to believe that this was permanent.

Sabrina couldn't keep the relief from her voice or posture. "Remember the Robertsons? This really sucks, Daphne."

She kept a tight hold on Puck's hand.

Daphne nodded, hurrying to sit down next to Sabrina and Puck. She took up the seat on the other side of her sister. "Yeah, I remember," she said. "You fell through a floor, then we learned how to run away a lot better later on."

Sabrina grinned wryly. "Yep. Could be worse. Could be attacked by ferrets."

Daphne cringed and wrinkled her nose, then got comfortable to wait for Relda. She didn't answer.

Sabrina couldn't see, so she didn't notice when Klarissa approached the three of them just ten minutes later, a cold little grin on her lovely face. Sabrina just sat in silence, feeling horribly vulnerable. She had no idea that the worst had yet to come.

***.*.*.*.***

**A/N:**

**Sky: MWAHAHAHAHA CLIFFY XD**

**Not that it's that much of a cliffy. But still! ^^ Hope no one's getting tired of Puck and Sabrina, cause there's much more incoming. :3**

**And I'm very sorry if there are errors, grammar mistakes, or scene object confusion... Ayns is supposed to double-check for me once I'm done, but... yeah T_T**


	4. Squeeze Once For Yes, Twice For No

**EDIT: Sky: Re-Added scene skips.**

**A/N:**

**Sky:** SOOOOOOO sorry for the delay! We had a ton of stuff happening and people's water breaking and Bleach action figures and lots of nuzzling… Ayns is back! YAY! So we busted our butts to make this presentable, and we'll be working hard to get the next part out within the week! Maybe faster if we keep getting such AWESOME REVIEWS!  
**  
**Before Ayns gets a chance to talk, I'd just really like to take a sec to thank the people who left such awesome reviews for us. You guys really made us happy, and made us feel good about deciding to put our story up.

Special thanks and dedication of this chapter to: Curlscat, aly303, Dramaqueenruling, tigress5674, ZOMBIEfiedCrayons, Obsessedwithbooks, grimmgirl, Lumiere Nordiques, BoOkLuvEr303, pucky-ucky-wucky-bucky, BellaCullen8346, Twilight0, Ascaisil, Bobbi jo (Squeeee see you Saturday I hope), Gaili Beron, and HoLliwOoDbOuNd13 ^^

Also GrimmGurl4Lyf3, who broke her review button but sent us a very nice message instead ^^ Hearts!  
**  
**Some of you especially left very nice reviews that just made us melt happily ^^ You guys rule. Oh, and to macncheese2424, this takes place pre-book 5, meaning Sabrina isn't 12 yet. Though, it reminds me I had to go back and edit the first A/N, we forgot to mention our AU also acts as if Charming never lost the election at the end of book 3/beginning of book 4 or whatever. So, he's not missing, he's still Mayor, and we'll uh… Figure out why soon XD  
**  
Ayns: **Wow, Sky really does a great job of summing things up. I won't repeat her dedications - it'd just be redundant.

It's good to be back and finally able to take an active hand in the editing of these chapters - Sky did a great job with the first three, but it's about time I stopped making her do all the work.

Thank you, everyone, for such great reviews and support. It just makes me want to keep writing and writing and writing... hopefully this next chapter will be up to speed with the others, and you'll love reading it as much as Sky and I loved writing it.

And, as Sky said, more reviews = more chapters, so keep them coming! We want to know what you think.  
**  
Sky: **^^ So read on!

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter Four: Squeeze Once For Yes, Twice For No_**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

Puck and Daphne both tensed when they saw Klarissa approaching, and Puck squeezed Sabrina's hand. She squeezed back just slightly.

"What are you doing here?" Daphne asked, her tone blunt. She looked at Klarissa with as much hostility as she could put in her expression. She'd practiced a lot on Sabrina since coming to Ferryport Landing.

"This is just the first stage. Or has she already hit the second stage?" Klarissa smiled down at Daphne, ignoring the question. "If your family doesn't leave Ferryport Landing, she's going to die. You'll be an only child. It shouldn't even take longer than a week at this rate… Two, three weeks tops…"

Daphne felt the blood drain from her face, and she went pale. That had not been the answer she was looking for.

"What did you do to her?" Puck demanded angrily, narrowing his eyes.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Klarissa kept smiling sweetly. "Oh how the mighty have fallen, Trickster King. You're more like... Trickster Pet. Or Trickster Whipped. The Grimm girl is a mortal. She will grow old and die eventually. I'm just speeding up the process."

Sabrina flexed her hand a bit--Puck had tightened his grip and it was a bit too tight. Puck's eyes flashed, and he was sorely tempted to call his pixies onto the girl, except that they still didn't know exactly what Klarissa had done, and if they made her more upset, what if Sabrina got even worse? Not that he necessarily cared… Well, he did, but he didn't want to think about the caring aspect. He needed Sabrina to fawn over him to make him look better, that was it. Yeah.

He did relax his grip - slightly - when he felt Sabrina flex her hand in discomfort.

"Why are you doing this?" Daphne demanded, jumping to her feet and balling her hands into fists. "Sabrina never did anything to you!"

Before Klarissa answered, Sabrina shifted again, smoothing her free hand over her knee a bit.

"Are you okay?" Sabrina asked Puck, turning her head in his direction. "You were killing my hand."

Klarissa chuckled. She didn't bother answering Daphne, since she knew they'd be distracted now. "I'll see you around. Unless you're smart, and you leave. It's the only way to save her life."

Puck looked at Sabrina, startled by her question. "Of course I'm not okay, can't you hear what this witch is saying?" he asked. Come to think of it, why wasn't Sabrina reacting more to Klarissa's words?

Sabrina kept her head tilted in his direction, her eyes still unfocused. "Puck?"

Puck felt himself going cold, as Daphne turned to stare at her sister with wide eyes. "Sabrina, can you hear me?" Puck asked urgently. There was no way…they'd been talking just moments before!

"...Puck?" Sabrina asked again when she didn't hear an answer, voice small. She clutched his hand tighter in alarm, as Klarissa laughed and walked off.

Puck pulled Sabrina into his arms then, holding her against him when he realized that nothing he could say was going to be able to reassure her - because she couldn't hear. It hadn't been his plan at first; he had originally planned to tease her into high spirits. But how was he supposed to reach her now, other than touch?

Sabrina made a sound of confusion, but didn't pull away. She was starting to realize that Puck wasn't ignoring her—the hug made her sure of it. So why couldn't she hear him…?

Daphne was trembling, and then she glanced out the front doors - their car had pulled up to the school entrance with Mr. Canis driving. "Come on," she said. "L-let's get her home."

Puck nodded, moving to get up. Instead of just helping Sabrina to her feet, he picked her up fully, no longer even trying to hide his worry or anxiety. The loss of hearing and loss of vision had happened so quickly, and so close to each other…

"Puck, why can't I hear you?" Sabrina demanded, sounding panicked. She didn't protest being picked up; she reached up and wrapped both arms around his neck with a soft cry of alarm, tightening her hold almost immediately.

"It's going to be okay, Sabrina," Puck said, despite the fact that she couldn't hear him. Daphne pushed open the doors, and Puck didn't waste time carrying Sabrina to the car. They needed to figure this out. Fast.

The moment the three of them were out of the school, the passenger door to the car opened and Relda came rushing out. "_Liebling_!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide. Mr. Canis was behind the wheel, his eyes on them intently.

"Granny, she's worse," Daphne said, her voice shaking harder now.

Relda only needed to take one look at Sabrina and the expression on her face to know that Daphne wasn't exaggerating. "Let's get her into the car," she said, ushering them towards the vehicle. Mr. Canis got out and went to open the rear door so that Puck and Daphne could get Sabrina inside with them.

Sabrina seemed a little panicked by the change in scenery--or well, props. She went from being blind and slightly comfortable on a bench and blind to deaf in Puck's arms, and now she was being moved, and logic told her it would be into a car, but still...

"What's going on?" Sabrina demanded to no one in general, fear creeping into her voice. "I can't hear anything, I can't see anything, where are we going?"

Relda held her breath, her eyes widening as she realized just _how_ much worse it was. Daphne had explained the blindness. The deafness was not expected. It was difficult to get her into the car by this point. She wouldn't let go of Puck, and he couldn't get in with her in his arms.

"She's going to need to let go of you to get her into the car," Mr. Canis said to Puck, seeing the immediate problem with getting Sabrina inside. And because she had no idea what was going on and they couldn't tell her, she had a tight grip on Puck that she wasn't likely to relax.

Mr. Canis was the only one there strong enough to help get Sabrina to let go of Puck, and he saw no other choice. Neither did Relda or Daphne, who looked like she was near tears. Mr. Canis had to get out of the car and try to force Sabrina to let go of Puck.

Sabrina put up a slight fight at first, not wanting to let go of Puck. She understood and was sure that Puck was the one carrying her, and so being separated from him was scaring her.

"Wait wait wait!" she cried, needing to stop them before she accidentally started kicking people in faces.

"Hang on, stop!" The urgency in Sabrina's voice made Puck instantly respond, adding his own voice to her panicked cry.

Now Daphne really was crying, tears slipping down her cheeks. Sabrina looked so scared! She wasn't used to seeing her that way at all!

Mr. Canis stopped for the moment, and looked at Relda. "We need to figure out how to calm her down and let go," he said.

Relda reached out and gently touched Sabrina's cheek. "It's all right, _liebling_," she said, stroking Sabrina's cheek and then brushing back her hair. "It's only for a moment."

Sabrina felt the touch on her cheek, closing her eyes and drawing in sharp, panicked breaths. Then she opened her eyes, even though she couldn't see. They were still reflecting her fear. "Puck, you're the one carrying me," she said in a small voice. "Just like... Pat my arm or something if it's okay for me to let go and nothing bad is happening. You won't leave, right?" She gripped him a bit tighter, and at once felt foolish.

If Puck _was _the one carrying her, would he give her up without a fight if it was dangerous? She didn't think he would, but she wanted confirmation anyway. She was close to panicking fully.

Puck shifted Sabrina in his arms enough that he could do exactly what she asked. He didn't think it was foolish - he only had to look at her to know that she was scared and panicked, and why wouldn't she be? It was different when she could see or hear, then she could confront anything that could scare her. This just left her… Unknowing and vulnerable.

He gently patted her arm, and then kept his hand where it lay. He'd stay near her the whole time, touching her, just so that she'd be reassured that he was still there and that she knew who at least _one_ person she was with was. After all, she had grabbed onto him before she lost her sight, so she was positive of who he was. Everything else was secondhand information to her now.

Relda looked at Puck and Sabrina anxiously, her hands on Daphne's shoulders as they waited to see if that would help. Sabrina took a deep breath, then shifted slowly to get down from Puck's arms, reaching for the hand on her arm and grasping it. But now she didn't know where to go or what was happening, so she trusted someone else would have to guide her. She at least knew for sure that Puck was the one with her, and if he made her walk into a ditch, she'd punch him in the face once she had sight back. Or once she pulled him close enough so she could find his face.

Talking was doing her no real good though, so she didn't say anything. She just stood there, looking incredibly freaked out. If it hadn't been for the fact that she could feel the warmth and sting in her eyes, she wouldn't have even realized she was holding back tears now. This had to be the worst thing that had ever happened to her.

Puck squeezed her hand, and led her carefully to the open car door. With Mr. Canis' help they were able to get her inside, with Puck sliding in first and then bringing Sabrina in so that she was sitting in the middle of the back seat. Daphne slid in next, her small hand reaching for her sister's other hand. They were all quiet, because the only things they wanted to say were reassurances for Sabrina, and Sabrina couldn't hear them.

Relda looked at Mr. Canis anxiously."Let's get them home," she said, her voice shaking a touch. Mr. Canis touched her shoulder, then nodded and went to the driver's side. For the moment, the agitation and anger he'd been struggling to control were nowhere to be found. Far from gone, but at least not at the surface for the moment.

***.*.*.*.***

Sabrina was quiet—or at least she hoped she was, because if weird noises were coming from her, she wouldn't be able to hear them. Or would she? After all, she could hear herself talk.

"Just testing, can I hear myself still?"

When she heard her voice, she sighed in relief. "Okay good."

She was trying not to think about how creepy it was being so cut off from the world. She'd never necessarily appreciated her vision and hearing, but without it… _'Okay, I promise if I get my hearing and sight back, I'll be more thankful and like… donate to blind people. And stuff.'_After that, she was met with silence. More agonizing silence.

The boredom was almost as bad as the unknowing fear of what would happen next. Would she lose taste? Smell? What other senses were there? What if she lost touch?

"Hey Puck?" she murmured. "I'm worried that I might lose more senses soon. Like, ya know… smell—but that'd be a bonus with you around. But what if I lose touch or something? I won't even know where I am. Do you promise you won't let go, even if I lose all the other senses, that way I don't have to worry? I know this is you I'm holding onto, so… And don't you dare tease me, I'm all blind and stuff. Okay?"

There was no answer, no squeeze or even a poke. Her worried expression became an angry scowl. "Puck, you could at least squeeze my hand or something. Would it kill you to be nice to me?"

No squeeze, no touch, just Puck on her right hand, Daphne on her left. "Daphne, will you hit him for me?"

No shift in movement…?

"Daphne, squeeze my hand please," Sabrina said stubbornly.

Nothing.

"…Daphne? Puck?" Sabrina felt her lips move, felt the breath leave her in a whisper, not nearly as powerful as her last words. A tremor of fear raced through her. Puck would ignore her just to be a jerk. Daphne wouldn't…

"Puck, what if I said you were completely amazing, a total hottie, and I was so jealous and you're the best King and boyfriend ever?" she asked, trying one last trick to get an answer. "You'd totally squeeze my hand, right?"

She waited, slowly counting to ten, then twenty.

A sharp bite to her lip kept the tears back, and she decided to make her presence known.

***.*.*.*.***

About halfway home, there was a sharp tug on both Daphne and Puck's hands. Sabrina had bowed her head and sat in silence, but now she was looking back and forth between them, silent and upset looking. She clutched their hands hard.

Daphne gasped in surprise from how tight a grip Sabrina had on her hand, and Relda turned in her seat, wide-eyed. "What is it?" she asked. "What's wrong?"

Puck ignored Relda, his focus on Sabrina. He squeezed Sabrina's hand back, not even flinching with the tight grip she had. ' eyes flickered to them in the rearview mirror, and the car sped up a bit more.

Sabrina was looking in Puck's direction. Her mouth was moving, but no sound came out. The tight grip had been to get attention because they weren't responding in any way to anything she said. She repeated her question silently to him, robbed of her voice now too.

Puck squeezed her hand again, trying to indicate that he was watching her now, as he looked at her mouth intently to figure out what she was trying to say.

"Her voice, too?" Daphne whispered in a small voice.

"Drive faster, Mr. Canis," Relda whispered, and Mr. Canis didn't argue.

Sabrina paused mid-word, looking down to her hand and Puck's. Then she looked up and spoke slowly, her lips forming the words with more emphasis. "Can you hear me?"

None of them had ever seen such an expression on Puck's face as what appeared then, when he realized what Sabrina was asking. He took her hand and shifted it so that her palm was face up. And then, carefully and slowly, he wrote out N-O on her hand. It was the only way that he could think to answer her now.

Sabrina let go of Daphne, curling up and closing her eyes. She'd suspected as much, but having it confirmed was like a crushing weight.

Puck wouldn't let go of Sabrina. When she curled up, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly. He wasn't going to leave her. He _couldn't_.

"We have to fix this," he said quietly, almost angrily. He hated seeing Sabrina like this. In fact, anything other than regular cranky and easily flustered Sabrina just plain sucked.

"We will, Puck," Relda said, looking at him as he held Sabrina, as Daphne sniffled and wiped at her eyes.

Sabrina didn't react much, even when they got home and managed to get her into the house. She had started to panic even more now that she couldn't even communicate well with them. The only thing that hadn't changed was that she still had a grip on Puck. He was the only one she knew for sure, he was the last one she'd heard and seen near her, and the only person she'd been touching before her sight had gone.

Puck picked her up again once they were inside the house. "I'm gonna take her to her room, old lady," he said. "You guys get started on the detective work." He didn't wait for an acknowledgement before carrying Sabrina upstairs.

Relda nodded, turning to Daphne and Mr. Canis. "Let's get started. Daphne, you'd best tell us everything," she said, switching into all business. "Jacob! Are you here?" They were going to need the entire family figuring this one out.

Jake came out of the kitchen. "Welcome back," he said. "How is Sabrina doing?" He'd only heard that something had been wrong with her, since he'd been in the middle of cooking. When they said they were bringing Sabrina home he'd added some mac'n cheese to the menu and it was almost ready.

When he saw Daphne's expression, he walked over and picked her up. "That bad?"

Daphne looked at Jake tearfully, and then hugged him tightly. She was so upset over what was happening to her sister that she couldn't form words at that moment.

"Whatever is wrong with Sabrina progressively got worse right after we got there," Relda said. "She's gone blind, deaf, and mute, Jacob. The only one she can handle having near her is Puck, because she knows for certain that it's him."

Daphne sniffled. "She said that Sabrina would die unless the Grimms left Ferryport Landing," she said.

Jake looked down at Daphne. "Who said that?" he asked, alarmed by what he was hearing. He hugged Daphne comfortingly. It was easy to see that she was worried sick over Sabrina.

"Klarissa," Daphne said. She'd been so distracted and worried by Sabrina that this was the first time she'd been able to explain everything. Mr. Canis frowned, and Relda hung on to Daphne's words. "She was at the gates when we got to school this morning, and she did something while we were there. Kerdy said she put a mark on Sabrina, but he didn't know what it was."

Daphne sniffled again, wiping at her eyes. "She was fine until lunch, but then she couldn't see anymore!"

Relda looked at the clock. "And within moments after that, her condition grew worse," she said.

"Klarissa, is she a witch?" Jake asked, frowning and already grabbing the phone. If Kerdy knew anything about it, he was going to find out. He was suddenly worried that Sabrina was going to keep getting worse, especially if it was happening fast…

Daphne wiped at her eyes. "Kerdy said she was," she said.

"Where's Kerdy now?" Mr. Canis asked. It hadn't gone unnoticed by him that Daphne kept mentioning the boy, but he wasn't there.

"I don't know," Daphne said. "He wasn't at lunch, and he's normally there first. I haven't seen him since this morning."

"I made lunch," Jake said, kissing Daphne's head and setting her down. "Why don't you bring some to Sabrina while I give him a call?"

Daphne took a deep breath and nodded. The task would give her something to do and focus on before they started their research. "Okay," she said, heading into the kitchen.

Relda cast a worried look at Jake, watching as Jake called the number Kerdy had given them. It was a cell number, so even if he was in school he should technically answer. Or get his phone taken away.

***.*.*.*.***

The macaroni and cheese was delicious and cheesy, and before Daphne got to the room, Sabrina could smell it. She was sitting on her bed, no longer a curled up ball of misery, but still holding one of Puck's hands. She perked just a little, stomach growling. While Jake tried to contact Kerdy and Relda set to work gathering together several books on enchantments and curses, Daphne carried the bowl of macaroni and cheese into the bedroom.

"Here, Sabrina," she said, talking automatically as she carried the bowl on a tray over to the bed.

Puck squeezed Sabrina's hand, watching her as Daphne set the tray down. "Thanks, marshmallow," he said to the younger Grimm girl.

Sabrina felt the tray being set down, and with a look of determination, she tried to figure out what it was. When her hand brushed the bowl, she picked it up and put it in her lap. Then she took the hand holding Puck's and brought it close, resting Puck's hand on her leg instead of holding it. That way she could use both hands and not lose contact.

A thoughtful frown crossed her features as she groped blindly on the desk near the bed for paper and a pen. She wrote (with bad penmanship considering she couldn't even see it) "Who brought this?"

Then she wrote the names of the people in the house, and a number next to each one. One for Daphne, two for Granny, three for Uncle Jake, and four for Mr. Canis. Then to emphasize what she meant, she tapped Puck's hand.

The penmanship was good enough that Puck could read the note, and he nodded slightly, understanding what she was asking and wanted him to do.

He tapped once on Sabrina's leg, watching her. Daphne stood beside the bed, clasping her hands in front of her and looking at her sister.

Sabrina wrote 'Thanks Daphne', then set the notepad down and sniffed cautiously.

Her eyes lit up a bit. If Jake had cooked it, there was a good chance it was normal macaroni and cheese. When she tried it out, she could have cried in relief, cheering up considerably. It was delicious.

Daphne beamed when she saw Sabrina's thank you, and then the way that her sister cheered up when she realized it was normal, tasty macaroni. She gave a little hop where she stood. Puck, for his part, was relieved. He hadn't been sure how they were going to go about getting her to eat, although to be honest food hadn't occurred to him yet. He'd been more worried about the obvious issue of her sight and such.

As Sabrina was about to finish the pretty large portion, she abruptly paused. So far she'd managed pretty good coordination and hadn't gotten herself in the eye with the spoon...

Now she brought it up to her nose, and accidentally stuck her nose into the spoonful.

With a grimace, she pulled it back and wiped her nose on her sleeve, confusion crossing her features. She set the spoon down shakily and tried to find the notebook and pen she'd been using.

Daphne picked up the notebook and pen, and Puck took Sabrina's other hand and moved it to that it was touching both items so that Sabrina could find them easier. He stroked her leg lightly, reassuringly. Sabrina's writing was worse this time because she was shaking so hard.

She wrote "I can't smell anything".

Then she set the notebook and pen down and buried her face in her hands. What was left? What was next? Touch… What about the ability to think?

Puck and Daphne exchanged a look of pure distress. "Better go tell them, marshmallow," Puck said to Daphne, who bit her lip and nodded.

Daphne slipped out of the room to go tell Jake, Mr. Canis, and Relda, hoping they had some kind of news.

Puck stroked Sabrina's leg again, and then cupped her cheek with his other hand. Sabrina couldn't see him, Daphne had left the room… So he didn't have to worry about anyone seeing him this way. No one had to see how worried he was or how badly he wanted to be able to fix Sabrina's problems. With a fierce feeling of protectiveness and the need to comfort her washing over him, he brought her face up and brushed his lips gently against her cheek. After all, her hands were both on her face, blocking most of it.

Sabrina slowly let her hands fall away from her face at Puck's touch, sniffling. Then she found the notebook and wrote, trying not to blush.

"I bet you're complaining about having to stay with me this whole time huh?"

"Yes- squeeze 1 No- squeeze 2." she managed a slightly teasing smile, comforted greatly by his presence. Still, her eyes reflected just how scared she was.

Puck grinned back, seeing the smile on her face and knowing that he was helping some, at least, if she was able to smile like that.

He squeezed her knee twice, watching for her reaction.

Sabrina's teasing grin softened into a smile. She started writing again, then yelped when she wrote off the page. She had to turn it carefully, find the top, and start again.

"Will you finally admit you were jealous?"

She wished she could see his face. If he was really so concerned, would it show? It wasn't fair, his sweet moments were so seldom and now she couldn't see or hear him...

Maybe the smell thing wasn't so bad. (Not that he smelled bad currently or anything...)

Puck looked down at the piece of paper, and grinned. She was, even with everything going on, still Sabrina.

He squeezed twice, and then leaned forward and kissed her, cupping her cheek with his other hand. Maybe she couldn't see him, hear him, or smell him, but she could feel him.

Sabrina relaxed, closing her eyes and kissing him back. But she fumbled for the paper and wrote down some more, bringing it up by their faces without breaking the kisses.

"Liar ^^"

Puck glanced at the paper and grinned, pulling Sabrina into his arms as he continued their kisses. She always had to get the last word in - even when she couldn't speak.

***.*.*.*.***

"Hey Pumpkin," Jake said when he saw Daphne. "Kerdy's on his way over again--did Sabrina like the macaroni?" Then he paused, touching Relda's arm. Daphne's face was an open book to her moods, and her expression clearly said something else was wrong.

"_Liebling_, what is it?" Relda asked in concerned, and Elvis came over and nudged Daphne's hand.

Daphne looked downcast. "She can't smell anything," she said. "She was eating her food...and then she couldn't smell it."

Jake sighed. "Great... She probably won't eat anything else if she can't smell it. That means she won't be able to taste it either. C'mon, Pumpkin, let's hit the books."

"Mr. Canis is getting the rest of the books now," Relda said, nodding to Jake and Daphne.

Daphne nodded, hurrying over to the first stack of books and looking through them. "Maybe we should start with anything about the Snow Queen," she said, speaking quickly to keep herself focused. "That's Klarissa's mother, right? Maybe there's something about marks there."

"Couldn't hurt," Jake said, tousling her hair and sitting down. But I think we looked up almost everything about the Snow Queen back when the problem was the Goblin's Mirror."

"Maybe we missed something," Daphne said with typical Daphne stubbornness, flipping pages while she anxiously awaited Kerdy's arrival.

Kerdy arrived about an hour later, looking wary. With him was a lovely young woman with long golden hair and beautiful blue eyes. There was something very sweet and innocent about her, as if she possessed one of the purest hearts. Her smile was very kind.

"Well hello," Jake said with a grin when he saw her.

"Hello," she responded, smiling at the group of researchers. "My name is Gerda. I'd like to help in any way I can."

Relda stood up, and offered Gerda her hand. "It's nice to meet you," she said. "I'm Relda Grimm - this is Mr. Canis, my son Jacob, my granddaughter Daphne, and Elvis." Elvis' tail thudded against the floor.

Daphne's eyes widened. Despite her worry for her sister, she couldn't help it. "Are you Kerdy's mom?" she asked, and then she bit her hand.

Gerda smiled down at Daphne and nodded. "Kerdy is my youngest. You must be the little Princess he told me about."

"Aw mom. It's just a nickname," Kerdy muttered, flushing a bit. "Sabrina's the one who got cursed."

"Of course, of course," Gerda said, going to Relda and shaking her hand. "It's nice to meet you all. I wish it could have been under better circumstances."

Daphne blushed a little, and looked at Kerdy. She was glad that he was okay - and maybe, just maybe, he and his mom would really be able to help figure out what was going on with Sabrina.

"As do I," Relda said. "But you're here now, and any help is appreciated. We're trying to find information on the Snow Queen and these marks that her daughter spoke of."

Gerda gave a patient little sigh. "The Snow Queen herself isn't a problem. Kai fulfilled the task she gave him and she set him free as promised. She means it when she gives her word, and does uphold a sense of right and wrong. Her children are not quite so..."

She trailed off and shook her head. "I have four sons, Kerdy is my youngest and Klarissa is her youngest. Klarissa has come by often, but none of my sons feel for her and I'm very sad that she is so hateful."

"It's not your fault mom," Kerdy said. "You're too nice."

Gerda shook her head. "I wish everyone could find happiness like I have, Kerdy."

"You could have given me a lot more happiness with a regular name," Kerdy teased.

She ruffled his hair, and then took a seat. Jake, having heard she was Kerdy's mother and obviously not single, had gone back to the books. "How bad is Sabrina's condition?"

Daphne drooped, her shoulders slumping.

"Since lunch time, when this seems to have taken effect," Relda said, "she's lost her sight, her hearing, her voice, and her sense of smell. She's in her room at this moment with Puck. We're not certain what will happen next."

"And she's really scared," Daphne added softly, scratching Elvis' head when he shoved it into her lap.

Kerdy's expression softened. He moved to Daphne and patted her head. "I'll go check on her," he said.

He headed up to find Sabrina just waking up. She'd fallen asleep briefly after kissing Puck for about fifteen minutes non-stop. She was holding one of Puck's hands, cuddled comfortably. Puck still had his arms around Sabrina, and he looked up as Kerdy came into the room. "So where have you been?" he asked by way of greeting. His eyes flicked back to Sabrina, seeing her waking up.

"I got my mom to come help," Kerdy said simply, not really answering the question.

Sabrina sat up abruptly, panicked. She immediately started reaching out, feeling around. The bed, her notebook, even Puck's face. But a moment later she curled up and started to sob in complete despair. No warning, no build up, just instant, silent sobs.

"What now?" Kerdy asked in worry, hurrying over.

Puck stared at Sabrina for a moment, and it felt like he'd swallowed a lead weight and that it was settling in his stomach.

"Sabrina?" Puck reached out and put his hand on her shoulders. Then he put his free hand on her leg - and pinched. He really hoped she was going to end up smacking him for that.

Sabrina didn't react at all. She just kept crying, her face hidden. It was the most miserable she'd ever been in her entire life. Kerdy didn't miss the pinch, and he looked to Puck in worry when it had no effect. He didn't think he'd ever seen Sabrina break down like this in his life.

"No," Puck whispered. He had never felt such a serious weight on his shoulders in his life. He held Sabrina, and knew that she wouldn't know the difference. Knew that he was out of ways in which he could comfort her.

He looked at Kerdy. "She can't feel," he said. "She's lost...all of her senses." And he was at a loss for what to do. He had no control over the situation and he _hated it_.

Kerdy swallowed. "I'll let them know," he said, figuring Puck didn't want an audience to this anyway.

He hurried from the room, stopping in the doorway of the living room. He felt like the words were choking him, it was such a terrible thing…

The moment that Kerdy was gone, Puck's attention was fully back on Sabrina. And because there was no one else there, he whispered words of comfort, stroking her hair and doing any damned thing he could remember seeing in a movie or a book or even just random mortals who claimed to be in love on the street. Sabrina was a mortal, and a girl, and as far as he knew, that meant she liked that kind of mushy crap.

And for once… He wanted her to know how he was feeling about her, no matter how mushy or embarrassing it was. It was better than… this.

Anything was better than this.

***.*.*.*.***

Sabrina hated the fact that she was crying. She could feel her own hands, feel her own tears, but nothing else. She was pretty sure Puck was with her, even though she hadn't gotten him to promise her anything.

_'Crap!' _she realized with a start. _'I never did write that down for him… That jerk better not leave me alone right now…' _She wanted to laugh at how ridiculous she sounded. She'd woken up unable to feel a thing other than her own touch, and she was worried about whether or not Puck was there? _'I must have it worse than I thought,' _she mused, hugging her knees tighter.

It was one of the scariest moments in her life, not knowing whether or not she'd just… Stop existing or not. That had to be next, right? If she was losing all of her senses, when did it stop? When she finally just stopped having thoughts and stopped existing? She wasn't ready to die yet.

***.*.*.*.***

"Kerdy?" Gerda asked in concern.

Jake frowned. She'd already lost most of her senses, what else was there? She couldn't be dead, Puck would have said something. Daphne looked up and felt the blood drain from her face. Kerdy's expression...

"What's happened?" Relda asked, looking at Kerdy. Mr. Canis stood up and put his hand on Relda's shoulder.

"She can't feel anything either," Kerdy said quietly. "She woke up and started crying. Puck even pinched her, but she didn't feel it. I'm guessing this is the newest development in a long line of torture for her."

"Oh my," Gerda said softly.

Daphne's lower lip trembled. And then she picked up another book, hurriedly flipping through the pages. "There has to be something here!" she said. "Something that will tell us how to help Sabrina. A spell, maybe, a potion..."

Relda wrapped her arms around Daphne, holding her. "_Liebling_," she murmured, because Daphne was clearly on the verge of panic. "We will find it. We _will_. But we must keep calm."

"I may be able to help restore one of her senses," Gerda said softly. "I'll have to run a quick errand. When I come back, I'll help you look more, okay? I just realized I still own some magical trinkets from friends. Maybe from my own adventure… I think little Elisa still had something…" She mumbled the last part half to herself. "Princess Irene's trinkets wouldn't help for this, and oh, if only I hadn't lost the Bronze ring…"

"You sure mom?" Kerdy asked, used to her cute ramblings. Although the name 'Irene' made him cringe. His mother _insisted _she was real, and he was not convinced. He always spelled it 'Irenee' on paper, like it was pronounced.

Gerda nodded, getting up and leaving quickly with a kiss to Kerdy's head. "I'll be back."

As Relda stroked her hair and held her, Daphne looked at Kerdy. "Can she really do it?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"My mom's pretty good at doing things," Kerdy said. "I mean after all, she was just my age when she went on a journey across Finmark and other places to find my dad, and he hated her at the time. Did you know she braved the ocean by herself, broke free of a witch's spell, communicated with animals and made it to the Snow Queen's castle on sheer willpower alone? Trust me, if there's anything she can do, she'll do it."

At his list of his mother's accomplishments, Daphne's eyes grew wide. "She really did all of that?" she asked.

"She really did, _liebling_," Relda said. "Don't worry. We aren't going to give up on Sabrina."

Kerdy sat down to help them, but while the Snow Queen did have a few other adventures involving her, nothing about witchcraft and marks was found.

***.*.*.*.***

Gerda returned several hours later with a small golden comb in her hands, wrapped neatly in a white cloth. By this time, Relda had gone into the kitchen to prepare some food - nothing fancy, but enough for them to keep their strength up. Puck hadn't come down once, staying upstairs with Sabrina the entire time.

"Is that it?" Daphne asked, looking at the comb when Gerda returned. "Will that help my sister?"

Gerda nodded. "You should put it in her hair," she told Daphne, handing the delicate golden trinket to her. "It was given to me by a witch, and enchanted me to be content and happy as her daughter. It no longer holds that same intense magic, but if someone as pure as you with honest love for your sister is to put it in her hair, perhaps it will help her. It only helps people with purity in their hearts."

Daphne reached up and took the comb, holding it gently in her hands. "Thank you," she said softly. She didn't doubt Gerda's words. She'd learned early on that if someone gave you instructions on magic, it was best to follow them. Or turn into a frog like Sabrina had.

Gerda leaned down and kissed her hair gently. "Good luck, child."

"Thanks," Jake said, coming into the room. He'd been searching the Hall Of Wonders, a little panicked at the idea of Sabrina not having much time left and deprived of all her senses. He hadn't found anything helpful at all.

"Go on and try it, _liebling_," Relda said, looking at Daphne warmly. She hoped that it would work - or even, at the very least, earn them some extra time.

Daphne nodded, hugging Gerda, and then rushed upstairs.  
**  
*.*.*.*.***

Puck heard her coming and managed to wipe away all traces of tears, lifting his head when Daphne came rushing into the room. "What is that?" he asked, seeing the comb in her hand. He hadn't cried at first—he'd held Sabrina and tried to comfort her. But as her distress increased and he did nothing to help her, he hadn't been able to stop a few tears. Now he was just trying to make sure Daphne didn't see it.

Thankfully, Daphne seemed to be more focused on Sabrina than Puck. She bit her lip. Seeing her sister curled up and crying - so unlike the way that Sabrina normally was… It was worse than when Sabrina was being hatful.

"Something that will help," Daphne said. She believed that it would - it had to do something.

She went over to Sabrina's side, and very carefully slipped the comb into her hair, making sure that it was secure. It slid in and held some hair back from her face, blending in carefully. Puck watched her intently.

Sabrina didn't react at first, still curled up and completely hopeless. Then she felt something in her hand, realizing at once that she could feel it--the other hand she had been clinging to in some way since losing her sight. She knew immediately that the hand in hers had to be Puck's. She hadn't lost contact with him at all, he was still there.

The arm around her shoulders had to be his too, and she immediately brought her other hand to the one she held, gripping it tightly. A sob of relief left her, as she pulled his hand to her chest and held it there to reassure herself. She had thought for hours that soon, she would cease to even think. That all her senses would be gone, and she'd never have them back again. That she'd just be gone, and maybe not even know it...

When Daphne saw Sabrina react to Puck's touch, she felt a rush of relief spread through her. The comb had worked. It hadn't completely healed her, but it had worked enough that Sabrina would know she wasn't alone. Puck squeezed Sabrina's hand, and held her close. He didn't trust himself to speak at that moment, afraid he'd say something embarrassing, but that was okay - no one really expected him to speak.

Daphne reached out and brushed a few pieces of Sabrina's hair back, tucking them behind her ear.

Sabrina tensed a bit, reaching out and grabbing Daphne's wrist briefly. It was small, so she figured it was Daphne, but still...

She put her hand on Puck's arm squeezed three times. A question.

Puck tapped Sabrina's arm once, to reassure her and let her know that it was Daphne with them. If he recalled, one was the number of taps for Daphne.

"I love you, Sabrina," Daphne whispered, even though Sabrina couldn't hear her.

Sabrina pulled away just a bit, felt her way to Daphne's hand again, found her shoulder, then tugged her close for a hug.

Daphne threw her arms around Sabrina and held onto her tightly. They'd find a way to restore all of Sabrina's senses and save her, one way or another. She didn't want her sister to ever feel like she was alone again.

After a bit, Sabrina pulled back, shivering. Her stomach growled, but she wasn't thrilled with the idea of eating something and not knowing what it was.

Daphne placed a gentle kiss on Sabrina's cheek. "I'll go ask Uncle Jake to make something," she said. "I promise I'll make sure it's something you like to eat." Even if she couldn't smell it, and might not taste it, Daphne wouldn't force Sabrina to eat something she didn't like.

Sabrina looked around blankly, fumbling for her notebook.

She wrote "I don't want to be hidden in my room in case I die; I want to be around everyone." It was a normal enough request, what if she lost all of her feeling again? At least she'd know she was around others first.

Daphne and Puck both looked at what she wrote, and then looked at each other.

"Sure thing," Puck said. He squeezed her hand again, and then got up so that he could pick her up and carry her downstairs. If she wanted to be with everyone, she'd be with everyone.

Sabrina gave a soundless yelp, but she clung to Puck tightly. She wasn't sure she planned on ever letting go at this rate.

Puck looked at her, and then grinned. He squeezed twice on her arm suddenly - no, he wasn't going to let her go and leave her, no matter what happened.

Sabrina was confused briefly. Then she grinned and hugged him tightly, realizing he must have read her expression. She had her notebook, and she let go briefly while he held her, to write, "Admit you were jealous."

Daphne covered her mouth and giggled softly.

Puck smirked. He didn't squeeze or tap his response - but he did trace the letter U on her arm. He wasn't going to admit it until _she_ did.

"No way."

She grinned a bit and closed her eyes, relaxing for a moment and holding the notebook and pen.

Puck laughed and smirked, holding her close in his arms. "C'mon, marshmallow," he said with Sabrina tucked against his chest. "Let's get her downstairs."

Daphne nodded hurriedly, and they carried Sabrina out of the bedroom and down to where everyone else was.

***.*.*.*.***

Gerda and Kerdy both looked over when Puck came down with Sabrina and Daphne.

Sabrina hesitated when she noticed they weren't moving much anymore. Then she wrote something on a new piece of paper and ripped it out of the notebook, trying to hand it to Puck and nearly hitting him in the face.

_Yes-1 squeeze  
No-2 squeeze  
Daphne-1 tap  
Granny-2 tap  
Uncle Jake-3 tap  
Mr. Canis-4 tap_

Puck grinned, managing to avoid being smacked by the notebook, but got a good look at her list. He carried her over to the couch and set her down, then squeezed her hand to indicate that yes, he'd seen her guide.

"Why did you bring her down here?" Jake asked in confusion. Wouldn't she have been more comfortable in her room?

Relda hurried out of the kitchen when she heard Jake, her eyes widening because it was pretty clear who he was talking about.

"She wants to be with people," Puck replied.

"And she's hungry," Daphne added. "Uncle Jake, can you make her something to eat?"

"Sure," Jake said. "Any idea what I should make her?"

Daphne looked thoughtful. "Hamburgers," she said after a moment, nodding to Uncle Jake. "Sabrina really likes hamburgers and she hasn't had them in awhile."

"Oki doki," Jake said, heading to the kitchen.

Sabrina relaxed, then started writing, but the notebook paper wasn't completely clean, so the words were smudged. The basic question was if anyone else was there.

Relda and Mr. Canis exchanged a look - Relda's was amused, Mr. Canis merely raised an eyebrow - as they watched Puck be more patient than they'd ever seen him be before.

Puck tapped out the responses, pausing long enough between each series of taps so that she'd know that Relda, Jake, and Mr. Canis were all there as well as himself and Daphne.

Then he frowned - he didn't know how to explain to her that Kerdy was there, and he had no clue who Gerda was anyway.

Sabrina paused as she considered this.

Then she wrote. "More people I didn't give a number to?"

"They seem to be communicating pretty well," Kerdy noted.

Puck squeezed her hand once.

Daphne looked at Kerdy and nodded. "Sabrina's getting good at writing things down," she said. She smiled at Gerda. "Thank you so much for the comb."

Gerda smiled. "I'm glad it helped."

Sabrina scrunched her face in confusion, oblivious to the conversation.

"How many others? Tap."

"We do owe you quite a bit," Relda said as well, smiling at Gerda. If the comb kept Sabrina with them, and helped her not to give up, then it was priceless.

Meanwhile, Puck tapped twice, once for Kerdy and once for Gerda.

Sabrina wrote "Kerdy?" But she couldn't think of anyone else who would possibly be helping.

"It's not like I have an attachment to it," Gerda smiled at Relda kindly. "Now, as for the Snow Queen's daughter, I was thinking you should ask the Snow Queen herself. It's true many people would like to leave Ferryport Landing, but the Queen might not appreciate her daughter trying to murder a Grimm." She watched Puck and Sabrina with a fond look, glad that the young girl had someone willing to help her so much.

Puck squeezed Sabrina's hand once, confirming that Kerdy was there.

"Do you know where she lives?" Daphne asked eagerly. She'd talk to anyone she had to if it meant helping Sabrina.

"No," Gerda admitted, blushing. "I don't know where she lives now. Just that it must be somewhere in Ferryport Landing."

"Well," Relda said practically, "That's what we Grimms are here for." She looked at Daphne, and the two of them nodded to each other. "We'll find her."

As Gerda told them all she knew about the Snow Queen in appearance and attitude, Sabrina tried to figure out who the other person was. She wrote down everyone from Charming to Goldilocks, but she had no idea. Puck paused then, and looked at Kerdy.

"Hey," he said, getting his attention. "Who's the woman with you?" He figured she was with Kerdy, but he didn't know Gerda's name.

"Oh, I'm Gerda, Kerdy's mom," Gerda explained, pausing her explanations.

"Oh." Puck stared at her for a moment - since she was, basically, the reason why Kerdy had known how Puck could help Sabrina the first time. "Okay, thanks."

Puck then proceeded to slowly write out Gerda's name on Sabrina's hand, since she seemed to be at a loss.

Sabrina frowned.

"Cerda?" she wrote. "Who?"

That took a _lot_ more spelling out, and a correction of Gerda's name - resulting in a scowl of concentration as Puck tried to make sure each letter was done clearly enough for her to understand. The look on his face almost made Daphne giggle again - Puck looked cute.

_Gerda Kerdy mom_ was the end result when he was done. He'd decided to throw punctuation away.

It took Sabrina several minutes to translate what she'd gotten. She wrote back. "Gerda, Kerdy's mom?" She had an adorable look on confused concentration, nose wrinkled a bit.

Puck looked relieved, because he didn't want to try spelling that out again. He squeezed Sabrina's hand once, staring at her face. She looked...cute.

She smiled, pleased she'd gotten it right. This intensified the cute.

"Yay!" She wrote. Then, she added, "I don't know/not yes or no-3 squeeze."

Puck grinned and squeezed her hand once to confirm the new rule. He lightly brushed his thumb over her knuckles - he was so not ready to be doing the kissing thing in front of her family, but hey, he was already holding her hand. Why not reassure her?

Sabrina blushed, ducking her head when she felt the nice touch.

"All right," Relda said when Gerda had finished giving the description that she knew of. "Daphne, Mr. Canis, we have a task. The sooner we find the Snow Queen, the better." She paused and called into the kitchen, "Jacob, will you be staying here?"

"Yeah, I'll stay with 'Brina and Puck," Jacob called back.

"I really wish I could help more," Gerda said sincerely,

"You've helped a lot already!" Daphne said, looking at Gerda brightly. "You gave us the comb, and you know what the Snow Queen looks like." She had renewed hope that they would win this.

Then Daphne looked at Kerdy. "And you helped a lot, too, Kerdy," she said sincerely.

Kerdy smiled. "I do what I can. Besides this is my fault anyway, Klarissa was doing it cause I dated Sabrina."

"...You dated Sabrina?" Gerda asked curiously.

"Well, she's really cute mom, I liked her immediately," Kerdy said, embarrassed.

Puck couldn't help but pull Sabrina a little closer and smirk - after all, _he'd_ gotten the girl in the end. But still, a part of him wanted Kerdy to go jump off a cliff. The smirk dimmed when he recalled Sabrina actually dating Kerdy. Dammnit, he needed to take her out on some dates. Otherwise Kerdy was technically winning.

"Kerdy's the reason that we were able to figure out how to help Sabrina before," Daphne told Gerda. "He's really great."

"I see..." Gerda looked thoughtful. "Kerdy, you should give Sabrina a kiss."

"What?" Kerdy yelped.

"What?" Puck yelped, looking at Gerda and Kerdy with wide eyes as Sabrina snuggled against him. Kerdy? Kiss Sabrina? "What?" One of his hands went to his pocket to find his flute. His pixies were getting a blonde handsome dinner now.

"It could help," Gerda said innocently.

"Um… Let's try the Snow Queen first," Kerdy said, shifting.

Daphne, however, was looking very confused. "Why would Kerdy kissing Sabrina help?" she asked. After all, you couldn't discount kisses in the fairy tale world. William Charming's kisses were prime examples of that.

"Well, it could depend on if Sabrina ever had feelings for Kerdy," Gerda said. "See, the Snow Queen's heart is cold... Klarissa's spell might have to do with isolating Sabrina from anyone she ever cared about, and anyone who cared about her."

"Still, I don't feel right kissing her, Mom. We should try the Snow Queen first," Kerdy said awkwardly. "Besides, Puck is kissing her, she loves him, wouldn't that help?"

Daphne looked back and forth between Kerdy and Sabrina - and Puck looked like he was going to start growling at the thought of Kerdy kissing Sabrina. Gerda looked thoughtful again.

Daphne looked at Kerdy. "Is it because Sabrina's with Puck now?" she asked.

Kerdy rubbed the back of his neck. "It's because Sabrina loves someone," he said. "And I've never kissed anyone. And I don't love Sabrina. Does that make sense, Princess?"

Daphne looked at Kerdy, and then nodded. "That does make sense," she agreed. She smiled - Kerdy was really sweet.

Kerdy smiled down at her. "So we try the Snow Queen first," he said, trying not to sound as chicken as he felt. And thankfully, Puck put the flute away with a scowl. Sabrina had distracted him by asking more questions via her notepad.

***.*.*.*.***

**A/N:**

**Sky:** Well, we cut off here to go write more scenes XD The next chapter will have more William/Snow in it, and less of the Puck/Sabrina, also more on Jake looking for Goldi hopefully, and more on-with-the-plotsness….ness..ess.

**Ayns**: Eee, more William/Snow! You can probably guess what I'm looking forward to.

Um, Sky? Is plotsness a word? Are we breaking English again?  
**  
Sky: **SCREW YOUUUUUUUUUU!  
**  
Ayns: **Well, not like I haven't come up with...odder things. Ahem. Odd things can happen when it's way way past sleep time and you can't see the computer screen or the keyboard.

The plan is to have another chapter (with more William/Snow goodness) out in the next week! I know I'm looking forward to it.  
**  
Sky: **(She's excited cause she gets to play Snow .) Anyway we won't chatter endlessly anymore. G'night and luvvies! We hope you enjoyed this chapter.

R/R! /hearts


	5. The Snow Queen

**EDIT: Sky: Re-Added scene skips.**

**A/N: **

**Sky: **Sorry for the delay! Amg, work has been SOOOOOO busy! Dedication and special thanks coming up.

In addition, I want to address a few things. One of the reviewers stated the fourth chapter wasn't as good as the first three. We're sorry, and we hope you enjoy this chapter and more to come ^^ We'll work harder to make it more enjoyable.

That being said, this was one of the hardest chapters to edit because a lot of it was random filler that got us to the next plot point. Three full scenes had to be added, details needed to be tweaked, and well… Ayns and I had to stop being lazy bums and marathon-RPing/watching Harry Potter XD

**Ayns: **Hey, what can I say? With one month or so and counting until the next Harry Potter movie, we needed a fix.

But today was the day for Sisters Grimm, and so we got to work. Consider this chapter...a bridge. A bridge between plot points. Lots of discussion, lots of inner monologues - and some adorable Snow and William icing.

**Sky: **K, and now for the dedication part! This chapter is going to be dedicated to **Curlscat, **because not only did they leave a review that inspired part of the chapter (Ayns was happy you made the Helen Keller connection, because that was what she drew inspiration from for Puck, and I used your quote kinda ^^b) but they also nominated our story at The Best of the Sisters Grimm Category by Christina985911. That was super cool and made us feel happy.

We also hit 50 reviews by chapter 4 ^^ This is awesome guys. Keep it up, we love ya. Special thanks to the people who reviewed since chapter 4 went up: **Twilight0, Curlscat, Ascaisil, syddleberry, bobbie jo, Gonna-Marry-A-TricksterKing, aly303, ZOMBIEfiedCrayons, Schadenfreude62, DeDe, Loodia LoveStar, Hermione Grimm, Gaili Beron, and silent-entrance.**We tried to keep it shorter than the last chapters as per requested by some people, but it was hard _ Sorry if this makes anyone go blind.

**Ayns: **So many reviewers. :3 I'm being given internet hand signals to wrap this up, so I'll just finish the note by saying that we really hope that you enjoy this chapter, and please please continue to leave reviews. They're like...an elixir to us. We do read each and every one of them, and we appreciate them muchly.

Happy reading!

**_*.*.*.*.* _**

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter Five: The Snow Queen  
_**  
**_*.*.*.*.*_**

Within no time at all, a group had taken off to find the Snow Queen. The first place they went for clues was Snow White's house. They needed help from Everafters, and Snow was probably the friendliest person they could ask who would actually know. Theoretically, they could just search every inch of the barrier, but that would waste time they didn't feel they had. Kerdy had gone with the group, which consisted of Relda, Daphne, and a reluctant Mr. Canis, who hadn't originally wanted to go, because if the Snow Queen refused to help them, he probably wouldn't be able to control his anger. Gerda had simply wished them good luck and assured them that her presence might not help their chances, or she would have gone with them in a heartbeat.

Kerdy and Daphne were in front when they reached Snow's house, and it was Daphne who gave an urgent and somehow still cute knock on the door.

Snow looked surprised to see the group assembled at her door when she opened it. "Well, this is a surprise," she said, but she smiled happily and stepped aside to let them in. "I was worried when you left school early, Daphne. Is everything all right?" Her smile stayed in place, but concern lit her eyes.

"Unfortunately not," Relda said with a shake of her head as everyone made their way into the house and settled, either on chairs or against a wall. "Sabrina, I'm afraid, is in a bit of trouble." She explained to quickly Snow everything that had happened, and the young teacher's eyes widened.

She touched her hand to her mouth. "How is Sabrina holding up?" she asked.

"She's trying to be strong," Daphne replied. "Right now Uncle Jake, Elvis, and Puck are with her."

Kerdy shifted. Snow White knew him, and she was friends with his mother. She'd also been his teacher when he'd been young, so it wasn't like he'd never been around her. But he didn't feel like he should say anything; he didn't know what to say anyway.

Snow looked at Kerdy and smiled. "So you're helping them, Kerdy?" she asked. She'd always liked Gerda's youngest - he was a sweet, kind boy.

"Yes ma'am," Kerdy said. "It's partly my fault it happened. After all, Klarissa did it because I tried dating Sabrina," he sighed dejectedly. "I really don't like Klarissa."

Snow put her hand on Kerdy's shoulder sympathetically. He was standing awkwardly near a chair, too uncomfortable to sit. "I'm sure no one blames you for any of this," she said. She hadn't seen Klarissa very much, but the girl had always seemed cold. And not in a funny 'Snow Queen pun' type of way.

"Of course not," Daphne said with a nod, smiling up at her teacher. "But we _were_ hoping that you'd know where we could find the Snow Queen."

Pulling her hand back from Kerdy's shoulder, Snow let out a reluctant sigh and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Daphne," she said. "But I don't. I only know that she lives in Ferryport Landing. She keeps to herself, and ever since her last divorce, no one has really wanted to go looking for her."

Then she paused, looking thoughtful. "But," she said with a smile, "I'm sure I know someone who _can_ help. Come inside and have a seat."

She walked over to her phone, dialing a certain phone number - one she knew by heart. Mr. Canis had a good idea of who she was calling, and muttered under his breath. Being in the same room as William Charming wasn't going to do much for his temperament.

Kerdy shifted, looking a little unsure, but Daphne looked at Snow, watching the smile that appeared on the young teacher's face.  
She smiled, and then tugged on Kerdy's arm. "She's calling the mayor," she whispered to Kerdy. Only William Charming could put that kind of smile on Snow White's face.

"Oh, yes, they're getting married right?" Kerdy asked. "But doesn't he hate you?"

"Oh, we get along okay," Daphne said with a smile. "He acts tough, but he's really very nice."

***.*.*.*.***

It hadn't been all that long since the election. And yet it felt like a lifetime of change had happened in a short time.

He'd been absolutely positive that he was going to lose his job and become a social pariah for his little stunt in helping the Grimms. Yet oddly enough, given the same events and same choices…

He'd do it all again.

With a heavy sigh, William Charming pushed a hand through his normally tidy hair and looked through the papers on his desk. He wouldn't have cared if they burst into flames; all he could think about was Snow.

He'd been contemplating asking her out to dinner with him—maybe dinner and dancing… But he didn't want to do anything to spook or rush her into changing her mind. Not when it had taken them this long to reconcile. He'd left his offer vague, mentioning that they should spend time together that night.

"How bad could it be," William sighed. "She already said she'd marry me, it's not like she'll stop the ceremony if I ask her out on a date she doesn't want to go on."

He reached for the phone and paused. Maybe he should bring it up casually in person instead. Snow did like to be charmed from time to time, but in his opinion, the bloody feminist revolution needed to go die. What was so wrong about chivalry? And the part that really blew his mind was that the same women who wanted independence often claimed chivalry was dead.

Well of course it was! They were killing it. Killing it with no mercy!

The shrill ring of his cell phone interrupted his inner rant.

Since William Charming had caller ID, he immediately answered. "Hello Snow," he said with warmth. "Did you decide to go out with me tonight after all?"

"Actually," Snow said, "I was calling to see if you could come over for a bit?"

"Of course," William said immediately. "I'll be right over, darling."

He hung up, sounding rather eager, without waiting for her response. A few quick buttons on his intercom, and he was barking orders for flowers and his car to be brought around.

***.*.*.*.***

Snow hung up her own phone, her smile firmly in place. "Billy will probably have a better idea of where you should start looking than I do," she said. "He'll be right over." She figured it would be easier on William if he came over here to speak to the Grimms, rather than the Grimms going to his home.

Relda smiled. "Thank you," she said, knowing that Snow also wanted the chance to see William, as well as help them find the Snow Queen.

Within ten minutes, William arrived with a bundle of roses. He entered the house with flourish, looking the part of a charming prince, right up until he saw his company. He wore a suit that was perfectly fit and tailored to him, but when he came in to find the Grimms and Kerdy, and not to mention Mr. Canis, he scowled. His eyes flickered to Snow in irritation, but it dissolved pretty fast. He could never be mad for long, not when it came to Snow.

Snow's eyes lit up at the sight of the roses, and she hurried over to them. "They're beautiful," she said warmly, looking up at him with a smile. Even though her reason for calling him had been to help Relda, it wasn't like she hadn't wanted to see him.

Mr. Canis bit back a growl, and it took a lot of effort.

William sighed, handing them to her. "What's the real reason you called me here?" he asked, not even bothering to beat around the bush.

Snow took the roses and looked at them fondly, then looked up at him. "The Grimms are looking for the Snow Queen," she said, "and we were hoping you'd know where she lived." She smiled. "I would have said it over the phone, but I was hoping you'd come over."

Daphne covered her smile with her hand. Watching Snow White and William together was way too cute. She gave him a look that clearly stated that she thought he was just a big softie with a jerk covered shell.

William sighed again. More helping... When he caught Daphne's look, he scowled at her. As far as he was concerned, he was a jerk filled jerk with jerk shell. He glanced at Relda, then at Daphne again. It didn't help that the little girl was burrowing her way into the shell, into the one soft spot he held. (Which was reserved for Snow, of course)

With a suppressed groan, he looked back to Snow. "What did she do?"

Daphne's eyes lit up, clasping her hands together in front of her, and Relda managed to contain her smile.

Snow bit her lip then. "It's not that she did something," she said. "It's one of her daughters. She put a curse on Sabrina Grimm, and Sabrina's life is in danger."

"Why does this matter to me?" William asked in a bored tone. But he did pull out his cell phone blackberry.

"Thank you," Snow said, touching his arm lightly.

Mr. Canis gave a muttering under his breath that was impossible to make out, which was good because it hadn't been all that nice. His temper was short enough as it was these days.

William looked through his address book in the phone, muttering to himself. "Ilitha doesn't like to be bothered. Especially not by Grimms. This had better not come back to me in a negative way. I already have to deal with enough of that from your lot."

"I assure you that we wouldn't be asking if it weren't so important," Relda said. "And of course, we'll keep your name out of it if you wish."

He took a moment to write down the directions, then handed the paper to Relda with an almost sour look. "Be wary, she and her daughters are extremely powerful and hold grudges easily."

Relda accepted the paper. "We'll be careful," she said with a nod.

Snow set her roses down gently so that they didn't get damaged, then went to Daphne and Kerdy. She hugged both of them. "Good luck," she said. "Let me know if you need anything more."

Daphne hugged her tightly. "We will," she promised. Then she went over to William and hugged him, too, before anyone could stop her.

Kerdy was smiling at Snow shyly, but William had gone rigid. He looked down at Daphne like he wanted to pry her off and then wash little-girl-hug from his suit.

But he didn't. He just stood there, stiff and tense.

Daphne let go of William and smiled up at him, then turned to the others. "Let's go," she said urgently. She wanted to talk to the Snow Queen as soon as possible.

Mr. Canis was already heading for the car, seeing no need to stick around any longer now, as Kerdy put a hand on Daphne's back and guided her away.

***.*.*.*.***

Snow went back over to William and placed her hand back on his arm. "So, you said something about going out tonight?" she murmured to him.

He reached up and touched her cheek gently. "I was hoping to take you out to dinner," he murmured. "And dancing."

"I'd like that," Snow said softly, gazing up at him. If she stayed home that evening by herself she'd only worry about Sabrina.

William stroked the soft skin of her cheek, and then moved his hand to her hair, brushing it back. "Do you need time to get ready?"

She was never one to dress up for a date unless it was very formal, so he didn't expect her to take forever getting fancy.

Snow smiled. "Just give me a couple of minutes," she said, leaning into his touch for a moment.

She pulled back and headed for her room, a smile on her face. When she came back a few minutes later, she had changed into a silk white blouse and pale yellow gauze skirt. She wore little makeup - only a touch of lip gloss, and she'd opted not to wear heels, instead selecting a pair of slippers that matched her skirt color. Slippers were much more practical for dancing.

"All right," she said, giving William another smile. "Where are we going?"

William took her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing the back of it. "As cliché as it is, I was thinking of The Glass Slipper. I haven't made reservations, but it's rather expensive and it isn't exactly a busy night. Is that alright with you?"

Snow blushed lightly at the touch of his lips to her hand. "It's fine with me, so long as what I'm wearing is acceptable," she said.

"You could be wearing rags," William said, his voice serious. "And you would still be the most beautiful woman in the entire world." He lowered her hand, but did not release it.

Snow's blush deepened - no matter how much time passed, it was still so easy for William to make her blush so much. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "We should go," she said after a moment.

William gave his most dazzling smile, guiding Snow from the house and to his car. He barked orders at Mr. Seven with a bit less sting than normal, and in no time at all, he was walking alongside Snow to a very expensive restaurant.

The place lived up to the name--it was elegant, the kind of place the students went to right before prom, and hopeful young men proposed to women at.

Ironically, it was also where William had proposed to Snow twice.

The twinkling golden lights set the whole room in a soothing atmosphere, candles at every table. He immediately took her to the most secluded one, pulling out her chair for her.

"Thank you," Snow said, giving William another enchanting smile as she took the seat. She had to admit that William could certainly live up to his name when he wanted to - and alone like this, now, with him, she was content to let him shower attention on her.

William sat across from her, eyes never leaving her. He still didn't know how he'd gotten so incredibly lucky. It wasn't like he had a hard time getting women. He'd gotten and had quite a few of them, in fact. And while he still cared for them, there had never been any comparison in his heart. Snow was his first love, and he wanted her to be his last. While impatience had led him to pursue her too many times in the past, he was willing to wait this time, as long as it took. If something else spooked her before their real wedding, he'd wait. He'd never take another, not when he knew now he'd never feel about anyone else the way he felt about Snow.

He didn't even take his eyes off of her as they ordered their dinner; he gave his answers without even opening his menu. And after the waiter had gone, he reached across the table and took one of her hands. "What made you say yes this time?" he asked her. "I have to know."

Snow felt the warmth of his hand around hers, and reached for her water glass. She took a sip quietly.

"I finally knew exactly what it was that I wanted," she said finally, setting down the glass. "Before, everything was just...it was too much. We were so young, and it happened so quickly. I couldn't be entirely sure of my feelings."

"But I kept proposing," William shook his head. "I know I should have given you more time..." He looked at her tenderly. "I'm glad you're ready now. Although I wish you weren't so close to the Grimms. It makes my life difficult."

Snow smiled, her eyes shining. "The girls are really quite sweet," she said. She had no intention of giving up her friendship with the Grimms, though she would never insist that he force himself to be around them.

Then her smile softened, and she squeezed his hand. "I'll do my best to not make it too difficult."

"I almost lost the election," William sighed. "I don't care anymore what they do in their free time, as long as it isn't going to ruin us."

"It won't," Snow replied, a promise in her voice. At that moment, she felt like nothing was going to ruin them - William was being nothing but wonderful.

"It depends on whether or not their tiff with the Snow Queen's daughter is going to go public. Who can really blame someone who was born here from wanting out?" William shrugged. "Or the rest of us for that matter."

"But does that really justify the methods some people take?" Snow asked softly. "The girls can hardly be blamed for something that an ancestor of theirs did."

"But they choose to stay here of their own free will. None of us do," William said quietly. "If they left the barrier and let us do the same, none of them would have the problems they do. But they don't see reason. They force themselves on us as a judge and jury."

"And if the barrier came down and another war started?" Snow squeezed his hand. "I don't know if some of us are ready to live out there in the rest of the world."

She took another sip of water. "I'll admit that going out into the world would be wonderful. But I just can't be angry with the Grimms over it."

"I'm not angry with them. I just know they bring the trouble on themselves."

William took a drink of water, then looked Snow in the eye. "Frankly, I don't care where we are. We could live in Ferryport Landing forever if you're with me."

He glanced away. "That is, Ferryport Landing will have to do," he said in a voice that indicated indifference. He was well aware he'd started to get really romantic.

Snow blushed, and she couldn't deny that his words made her heart flutter. "Careful, Billy," she said with a tender smile. "You're starting to live up to your name."

"Isn't that a good thing? It's why you fell for me in the first place," he said, looking to her again.

"Well," Snow said, squeezing his hand again, "It's one of the reasons I fell for you."

William tried not to let himself smile--it would be one of those dorky, whipped smiles. Instead he pulled back so their food could be placed in front of them, thinking of how he would soon be holding her in his arms, sweeping her across a dance floor. He never wanted to let Snow down again.

***.*.*.*.***

"They really care about each other," Daphne said with a smile, speaking of Snow and William as they headed back to the car. Relda was showing Mr. Canis the directions so that he knew where they were going.

Kerdy smiled down at her. "Not many can see that, Princess."

Daphne turned her head towards Kerdy. She was blushing a touch. She looked a little shy. "Why do you keep calling me Princess?" she asked.

"Because you're sweet like a princess, and pretty," Kerdy said simply.

That only served to make Daphne's blush increase, and she ducked her head. "You're really sweet, Kerdy," she said softly. "I'm really glad to know you."

"Right back at ya," he said with a smile. "Now let's go see the Snow Queen and save your sister."

Daphne nodded fervently. "Right!" she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him the rest of the distance to the car, where Relda and Mr. Canis were waiting.

The car ride to the Snow Queen's home took some time, because according to William's directions it was located close to the edge of the barrier. Daphne had been silent for much of the ride - it was late, and her stomach was fluttering nervously. What if the Snow Queen didn't want to help them because Klarissa was her daughter?

When the car was parked, Relda got out of the car first and headed for the front door. Mr. Canis was right behind her - they didn't know the Snow Queen, he wasn't taking chances with Relda.

The house was beautiful, silver and blue and fit for royalty. The windows were all frosted and etched, and the dim light twinkled off the silver walls as if they were made of freshly fallen snowflakes. As they approached the door, it opened with a tinkling chime, and a soft breeze of cool air hit them.

Kerdy shuddered, looking like he wanted to be almost anywhere else.

Daphne reached out and took Kerdy's hand, squeezing it. "Are you okay?" she whispered. His family was the one with the history with the Snow Queen, after all.

"I'm okay, Princess," Kerdy said, squeezing her hand. "She just freaks me the heck out."

As they entered, the silvery teal lights dimmed around the halls, and a beautiful woman with silver hair and pale skin came to great them. She wore a long silver dress that fit her slender frame perfectly, and had Jake been there, he probably would have hit on her.

Daphne's eyes widened slightly. She'd expected her to be pretty, but wow.

"Good evening," Relda said, looking at the woman and speaking with the utmost respect. "Please pardon us for coming to see you at this hour. My name is Relda Grimm."

Ilitha gave a slight nod of her head. "Relda Grimm. I am Ilitha Wynter. Why do you visit my home?"

"I wish to speak to you about your daughter, Klarissa," Relda said to Ilitha. "She's placed a mark on my oldest granddaughter, Sabrina."

"A mark," Ilitha murmured. "She knows better than that..."

She frowned, lifting one delicate and lovely hand. There was a sound like a bell, and the lovely girl came into the room. She scowled when she saw Relda, Kerdy, and Daphne. She didn't care either way about Mr. Canis.

"Klarissa," Ilitha said. "What have you done?"

"I put a mark on Sabrina Grimm," Klarissa said coldly. "I'll see her die if the Grimms don't give us our freedom."

"I see," Ilitha murmured.

Mr. Canis growled softly, looking at Klarissa. So this was the girl who was causing Sabrina so much pain and distress?

Relda looked at Klarissa, and then at Ilitha. "I love my granddaughter, very much," she said. "All I want is for her to be safe and happy." And so long as Sabrina's life was in danger this way, she was neither.

"You could always leave the barrier," Ilitha said. "Klarissa already said that would break the spell."

"Simple as that," Klarissa shrugged.

"But we can't do that," Daphne said, and then she bit her lip. They had a responsibility... _But what if that really is the only way to save Sabrina?_ she thought. She didn't want to leave Ferryport Landing...it wasn't even the barrier that was so much an issue for Daphne. She just really loved living there.

"It seems you already had the answer to your question," Ilitha said. "Please leave."

"Your Majesty," Kerdy said, stepping forward.

She glanced at him, raising an eyebrow.

"This isn't the way," Kerdy said softly. "You were never a spiteful Queen, from what my father said."

"Your father did win his freedom from me. I don't care much for your mother," she said calmly.

"I know," Kerdy said. "But isn't there anything else you could ask from them?"

Ilitha was quiet for a moment, while Klarissa fumed.

"I'm more than willing to work something out," Relda said, looking at Ilitha, "if it means saving my granddaughter's life." For her there was no contest - nothing she possessed was more valuable than Sabrina and Daphne.

Ilitha looked to Relda for several moments. "Come back in three days time, and bring with you an item that represents how you feel for your granddaughter, an item you would never willingly toss away unless the forfeit was your granddaughter's life, and an item to prove your granddaughter knows love and is worth my time to save. Go now."

Relda looked at Ilitha, and then nodded slightly, bowing her head. "Thank you," she said. She turned back towards the door. "Mr. Canis, Daphne, Kerdy, come on, then. Let's go home."

Daphne's eyes widened. Something to represent how Relda felt for Sabrina? Something Relda would never toss away unless it was to save Sabrina? And something to prove Sabrina knew love? Her mind was already wondering what Relda would come up with.

"Mother," Klarissa protested.

Ilitha looked at Klarissa calmly. "It seems I gave you too much credit," she said. She took a soft breath and blew it into Klarissa's face, little ice crystals glittering.

"Mother...!" Klarissa gasped in horror, then sank to her knees. All of the magic drained from her in a rush, leaving her powerless. The hum and glow of magic that had once clung to Klarissa like a second skin was now gone, absorbing back into the Snow Queen's hand.

That made Daphne's eyes go even wider, until they were perfectly round. "What did she just do?" she whispered to Kerdy, starting after Mr. Canis and her grandmother, even while watching the exchange between Klarissa and Ilitha.

Kerdy shuddered fully. "Took away Klarissa's magic," he whispered back to Daphne. "It's not hereditary... It's a gift."

Daphne gave a shiver as well. She loved being around Everafters...but that chilled her. She hadn't realized that Ilitha could do something like that. "What does hereditary mean?" she asked as a distraction and an afterthought.

"It means passed on from your parents, like eye color and stuff," Kerdy replied softly.

"Let's go home," Daphne whispered to Kerdy, suddenly wanting to see Sabrina.

Kerdy picked Daphne up and walked faster. The whole place seemed so cold...

"I don't think I'll come back in three days with you if that's okay," Kerdy said nervously.

Daphne didn't protest to Kerdy picking her up - he had longer legs than she did. "That's fine," Daphne said back. She glanced up at him, and then leaned up, brushing her lips against his cheek. "But thank you for coming this time."

Mr. Canis held the back door of the car open for Daphne and Kerdy - they were all pretty much ready to leave that place.

Kerdy blushed a bit. "Aw, Princess. That's sweet of you." He carried her to the car and set her in the back seat, then sat beside her.

Daphne felt a _lot_ better once they were in the car, and she leaned against Kerdy. "Granny," she said, looking to Relda as Mr. Canis started up the car and headed for their house, away from Ilitha's home. "What are you going to bring back in three days?"

"Exactly what she asked for, _liebling_," Relda said. "Don't you worry - we'll see your sister through this."

Kerdy hadn't stopped shivering by the time they dropped him off at his house. He wasn't sure he ever would.

Daphne couldn't help being concerned when they dropped Kerdy off, and she got out of the car with him, lingering for a moment. "Kerdy?" she asked. "Are you going to be okay?"

Kerdy paused and turned to Daphne. He smiled. "I'm okay, Princess. Don't worry about me."

He knelt down so that he was at eye level with her. "I'll be back to normal in no time."

Daphne smiled slightly, looking at him. "Will we see you tomorrow...?" Though she didn't know if she was going to go to school or not. She didn't want to be away from Sabrina that long.

"I might stay home from school," Kerdy said honestly. "You should take care of your sister. She needs you."

He reached out and pet her hair with affection. She was really endearing, it was hard not to treat her as such. "Night, Princess."

Standing, he turned and headed for his house.

"Good night," Daphne echoed. She turned and got back into the car, watching him for a moment.

"Ready to go home,_ liebling?_"Relda asked. "Don't worry. I'm sure he'll be all right."

Daphne nodded. "I'm ready to go," she said. "I want to see Sabrina."

And with that, Mr. Canis started the car back to their house.

***.*.*.*.***

Sabrina was sure she was scowling again. There were some expressions you just knew you could do without needing a mirror—now the question was, had she correctly scowled at Puck, or was she scowling at Elvis?

Bored was an understatement to the highest power for how she felt. Her hand was tired from writing everything she wanted to say or ask, and some questions weren't worth the muscle use to squeeze, poke or tap for answers. For instance, she had asked where everyone had gone once finding out they were home alone with Jake and Elvis.

Puck had spelled out 'Snow Queen' on her arm, and her list of questions had led to enough yes or no squeezes that she wondered if they were both going to bruise.

At least now she knew that her family had gone off to find a cure for her, Kerdy had gone with them, Jake was the one who had stayed behind, Elvis had indeed slobbered on her foot, and many other things.

The reason for her scowl was very simple. Puck was trying to get her to eat, but he wasn't telling her what it was. The few things he had done to give her hints had included putting something slimy and flimsy on her hand that had freaked her out, and having her poke something that felt hot and squishy, like she could poke through it.

_'You are the king of SUCK.' _She wrote on her notepad in frustration.

In front of her on the coffee table in the living room, a hamburger with all the works (including a pickle that had been removed by Puck and placed on Sabrina's hand) was still toasty hot. Part of the meat patty had been poked through partially.

Puck read her notepad and snickered. Having Sabrina in such a state was too fun sometimes - okay, okay. Most of the time.

He figured it was time for another hint - after all, she needed to know what it was she was eating, right?

He picked the bun up off the top of the hamburger and took Sabrina's hand. Then he promptly placed her finger right in the middle of some of the ketchup and mustard that was on the hamburger.

Sabrina jumped and yanked her hand back. Then, since he still had her wrist, she followed it to the source and got him right in the face with ketchup and mustard. Some of it went up his nose.

"GWYAH!" Puck immediately started coughing and sputtering, wiping at his nose and trying to remove the ketchup. Then he sneezed - loudly.

Sabrina didn't hear the reaction, but she could tell he probably had a spasm. Well, good. She smirked in his direction, her left hand moving to rest on his leg so she could write with her right hand after wiping the rest of the mess on his pants.

_'Is it a Hamburger?' _she wrote.

Puck had managed to grab a napkin and wipe the rest of the ketchup and mustard off of his face, as he read her note. For a moment he was tempted to mess with her some more and denied it. But she hadn't eaten yet, and a hungry Sabrina was harder to deal with than a not-hungry Sabrina. So he reached out and squeezed her hand once.

Satisfied, she tried to feel her way back to the burger. It was a little messy, so she made sure to eat as carefully and delicately as possible. Puck watched her for a moment. She was taking an awfully long time eating that burger, since she was being so careful.

Next to them, Elvis tilted his head to one side, regarding Puck and Sabrina curiously. Then he watched as Puck leaned forward suddenly and took a big bite out of the other end of Sabrina's hamburger while she was holding it.

Sabrina had moved in to bite at the same time, and her nose bumped Puck's. With a soundless yelp, she yanked back and stared in his direction, flushed and ready to snap.

Very carefully, she pulled it away from him and found the plate, setting the hamburger down. With one of his hands on her knee so she wouldn't lose contact, she wasn't afraid of not touching him in some way with her own hands. She wiped them off and picked the notebook up.

_'Did you. Just bite. My Hamburger. While I. Was eating. It, Fairyboy?'_

Puck grinned, chewing his bite and swallowing it. Mm, tasty. With absolutely no shame or apology, Puck squeezed Sabrina's hand once.

_'Jerk,' _she wrote with a scowl._ 'Fine, take the rest, I'm not hungry.'_

She'd written it in frustration, so it was a little sloppier than normal. She usually wrote carefully to make sure everyone else could read it, since she couldn't see what she was even writing. Puck frowned slightly when he read her words. He pushed the hamburger closer to her insistently.

As Sabrina huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, turning away, he heard the sound of a car pulling up. A moment later the front door opened. Elvis jumped to his feet and bounded over to Relda. She reached down to pet the top of his head, murmuring a welcome to him as Daphne slipped into the house alongside her. Both of them looked tired - but not, Puck noted, defeated.

He hoped that meant that everything had gone well. Or at least not sucked.

"Where's the old man?" Puck asked.

"Mr. Canis is locking up the car for the night," Relda said, straightening up and turning to Puck and Sabrina. She looked at her granddaughter in concern. "How is Sabrina?"

"The same," Puck replied, glancing at her - well, maybe not the same. He'd taken a bite out of her hamburger, after all, and now she was refusing to finish it. "So what happened?"

"We found the Snow Queen," Daphne said, hurrying over to the table. She tapped Sabrina once, to let her know that she was back. "And she said that she would help!" Her eyes were shining - knowing that they were finally going to get help for Sabrina was such an incredible relief. She only wished there were an easy way to explain it to her sister.

Sabrina looked up and smiled a bit, patting Daphne's hand to let her know she understood.

Relda nodded, coming over to join them. "In three days I need to return to the Snow Queen, and bring her-"

"Yeah, okay - just make sure you do it, got it?" Puck interrupted. He didn't really care about details. Hearing that Sabrina was going to get better was enough for him. He didn't care how it got done; he just wanted it to happen. And he would never admit to the sense of relief that he felt when he heard that Sabrina was going to get help. Never. Nope. No admittance.

Taking her hands back, Sabrina picked the notebook back up and wrote for several minutes. When she finished writing, she held up the sloppy note for Puck to read.

_'Did they find the Snow Queen? If so, are they going to fix what's wrong with me? And when?'_

Puck reached for her hand again, waiting until she was finished writing. He squeezed her hand once, waiting a lengthy period of time so that she wasn't confused, and then squeezed her hand another time for a second yes.

Then he turned her palm face up and wrote "3 day" out on it. Though Relda and Daphne had seen the question, it was generally Puck who answered - since he was always touching her in some way anyway.

Sabrina considered this, taking a moment to figure out what he'd written on her palm. She didn't miss the fact that communication was really odd most times. She also didn't miss the fact that she was basically Helen Keller.

...Without a nose.

_'3 days?' _she wrote. _'Greeeeeat.'_

Daphne wrapped her arms around Sabrina and hugged her. Three days would go by really quickly, she was sure.

Sabrina's expression softened, and she reached up to give Daphne a sideways hug with one arm. Daphne's affection lifted her spirits--after all, the girl was always optimistic, she was probably thinking that three days would pass in no time at all, and things would go back to normal.

Well... As normal as it could be.

A hand landed on Relda's shoulder, and then Jake dropped a kiss to the top of her head. "Welcome home. Good timing, I need to get going now."

Relda looked at Jake quizzically. "Where are you going, Jacob?" she asked inquiringly. The front door open again, and Mr. Canis entered quietly.

"I think I may have picked up a lead," Jake said without giving anything away. Few people knew about his search for Goldilocks. "I'll be back soon, alright?"

Relda nodded, and didn't press for details. Jake would tell her when he had something to tell. "Alright. Be careful."

"Aren't I always?" He grinned a very dashing (self proclaimed, anyway) grin at her, then headed up to the Hall of Wonders.

***.*.*.*.***

"It really is you."

The young woman whirled around at the voice, her golden curls whipping around her face. For a moment she seemed ready to run or defend herself, when recognition raced through her beautiful blue eyes.

She stood frozen, years of memories rushing back in a single moment that seemed to last forever. For several moments, neither of them moved, both looking at one another. One was tense with apprehension, clearly not wanting to scare the other away, and one was tense with confusion and uncertainty. After all, why would Jake Grimm come to find her now, of all times, so many years after that fateful incident?

Straightening her back and standing tall, Goldilocks was the one to finally break the silence. "Jake Grimm… What are you doing here?"

Jake gave her a familiar grin, one so similar to Henry's that it made her heart ache for a moment. "I needed to talk to you, Goldie. Can I come in?"

"Haven't you already?" Goldie asked, raising her delicate eyebrow at him.

His grin turned a bit sheepish. He was inside the hotel room, having charmed one of the workers with a tragic love story about how the woman he was searching for thought he didn't love her because she was pregnant, but the baby might not be his, only he didn't care… Yeah, he'd ripped off some soap operas, given a few fake tears, and clasped the young lady's hands in his own to convey his sincerity, and she'd fallen for it hook, line and sinker. "Well, I meant officially come in. As in I ask, you invite me in, and we both have a seat to talk."

"Well, you may as well," Goldie said, turning and heading to the couch. "Would you like tea?"

"They drink tea in Italy?" Jake asked, shutting the door behind him as he headed into the room."

"To be honest, I haven't a clue, I simply bring it with me because I enjoy it," Goldie answered, arranging the flowers from smallest to largest in their vase. "But I'm not thirsty if you're not."

"I'm not," Jake said, moving to sit across from her. "Still haven't changed a bit. Cute as a button, OCD to the point of ridiculous."

She frowned at him, but it wasn't like she denied the obsessive compulsive disorder. She just liked things a certain way. What was so wrong with that?

"And you haven't really changed," she said. "Still dashing and smooth with your words. Is that how you got into my hotel room?"

"It might be," he said with a grin in her direction. "I wish I was just here to chat, Goldie… I can't stress that enough."

"Please get to the point," Goldie said, avoiding eye contact. Her heart was pounding—what if something had happened to Henry?

"The truth is, I need you to come back to Ferryport Landing," Jake said, looking at Goldie seriously. "Hank and Veronica are both under a sleeping spell, and the only way we can think to wake them up is a kiss. You know how a sleeping spell works, it can't just be anyone."

"…" Goldie looked at him for a moment, then turned away from him, expression closed off. "Jake, I don't think I can."

"You know I wouldn't be asking this favor if it wasn't my last resort," Jake said. "It's not just about Henry and Veronica, Goldie. It's about their kids."

She flinched a little and didn't respond.

"About a year and a half ago, closer to two years now, Henry and Veronica went missing and left two daughters orphaned. They were nine and five at the time. Since Henry never even told them they had any other family, no one really knew about it for a long time. They spent nearly two years being shuffled through foster homes, and quite frankly… Some of them were abusive or crazy. The girls are eleven and seven now. The oldest, Sabrina, will be turning twelve soon."

"Isn't Relda taking care of them?" Goldie asked, avoiding looking at Jake.

"She's doing the best she can," Jake said. "But the girls need their parents, Goldie…"

"So you're asking me to go back into the chains of Ferryport Landing to kiss a man who gave up on me and moved on to find another love. And then what?" Goldie asked quietly. "I can't do it, Jake. I don't want to be a prisoner there."

She straightened. "Bring Henry here, then I won't have to go back."

"I thought of that," Jake said apologetically. "But the spell is stopping them from leaving the barrier. They won't be able to leave until it wears off, because they've basically become immortal as well."

"No, Jake," Goldie said, standing up. "I'm sorry. I just can't do it."

"Goldie," Jake looked at her pleadingly. "If there was another way… But we can't keep opening the barrier to let one or two out, or I'd offer in a heartbeat."

When she didn't answer, he stood, moving closer and placing his hand on her shoulder. "I'm not asking for my brother, or my sister-in-law. I'm asking for Sabrina and Daphne. Especially Sabrina—right now, she's under a curse, and-"

"No," Goldie said firmly. "Jake, I won't. Please…Find another way."

Jake stood there for several more moments, before closing his eyes and letting his hand fall away from her. "You're right," he said softly. "I'm asking far too much. I'm sorry. I respect your decision, Goldilocks."

He turned and headed back for the door. "If it helps, I still haven't forgiven Henry for leaving you behind. But I can't say he didn't find the right woman for him. Just like you'll find the right man for you someday."

"Take care of yourself," he said as his parting words, and then the door was shutting behind him.

Goldie sat down again, tears brimming in her eyes. Of course the request was unfair… But it wasn't exactly selfish.

For a moment, she leaned back on the couch, closing her eyes and imagining the two girls. Two little girls—would they have Henry's hair or Veronica's? And the eyes?

She let herself imagine for just a moment that things had gone differently. Instead of the tragedy that had flipped her world upside down, the plan had worked like a charm. Henry had walked up with Jake and seen her, smiling and waving from the other side of the barrier. He would have run to her, taking her into his arms and swinging her around. He would have given her a kiss. Maybe they would have run away together and started a family of their own.

Sabrina and Daphne Grimm could have been _hers._The pain that came with that thought was so staggering that she opened her eyes, catching her breath. Of all the dreams she'd ever had in her life—and she'd lived a VERY long life… None of them had ever been shattered so cruelly and painfully before.

"I'm sorry, Henry," she said softly, getting up and hurrying into the kitchen, splashing some cold water onto her face. "I just can't."

***.*.*.*.***

**A/N:**

**Sky: **Won't bore you any longer with a lengthy A/N here ^^ Drop us a review, we'll update again ASAP! Thanks for reading ^-^/ And if anything jumped to a spot it wasn't supposed to be, it's because the document manager wants to see me /wrists.


	6. Waking Up

**EDIT: Sky: Re-Added scene skips.**

**A/N:**

**Sky: **So, the reviews have been incredibly awesome and wonderful, but a familiar theme is that half the readers don't want shorter chapters, and the other half are going blind/ADHD (like me woo!~) trying to sit that long staring at the same chapter.

Ayns and I talked it over, and it's extremely difficult for us to find a pausing place—also because the first few chapters were posted within a day of each other with 8-10k words a piece, we don't want to break flow and go down to 2-3k words per chapter now. Also, we'll still only update 1-2 times a week, so if we shorten the chapters that much, you're going to get a lot less story :/ We haven't even gotten to the reason why the story is titled "No Matter What", which is about halfway into the actual main plot...

I did warn everyone this would be epic!

That being said, I managed to hack this chapter down to around 6.5k words not including the A/N. Now it has a slight cliffhanger, sorry ._. We'll try to keep it around that length in the 6-7k range without jacking you guys on plot. I'm especially wordy, I'm sorry ^^ I'm sure a lot of you know that from the replies I gave your reviews.  
**  
Special thanks to all the people who reviewed since chapter 5 got posted: Schadenfreude62, Alice Starr, silent-entrance, A CertainPeanutbutterSandwich, twilight0, Eulalia95, Ascaisil, Samloves, Zeorzia, Loodia LoveStar, Tanglenight,Band Geek Letter 1, curlscat, Tina, **and **ZOMBIEfiedCrayons--**You guys rock ^^ And um… I don't recall the books mentioning the Snow Queen driving an ice cream truck, but if she did… she doesn't anymore! Bwahahahahaha /storygodmode.

Ayns has nothing to add XD I hogged the A/N again. I'm considering doing the 100 word challenge by myself and sometimes with Ayns so I can give her a break when I get bored, that way I don't rush her to look over a chapter… XD Oh well, we'll see.

Hope you like it!

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter Six: Waking Up_**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

Sabrina finished washing her hands carefully, and then moved to tug the string around her wrist to let Puck know he could come in and help her find her way out of the bathroom. She'd had to do that for showers and restroom breaks.

All in all, two days of her condition had passed and she was handling it pretty well.

The string was the newest development in her communication with Puck. After the dilemma of realizing she'd have to let go of him to do anything private, she'd panicked a little until a brilliant idea had struck. Right after everyone had gone and she'd gotten a fresh hamburger, still stubbornly refusing to eat the one Puck had bitten—she'd started to search all the drawers and tables. She'd felt around until she'd found a ball of yarn (although first she'd grabbed a mouse's tail and shrieked in silence when she realized what it had been) and cut a pretty long string. The yarn itself was a faded tan color that wouldn't fray and break in water, and pretty strong. It hadn't been worth the amount of time it would take to write out notes and ask questions to see if it was really yarn or if it was some type of waxed cotton or linen string, so she simply thought of it as yarn.

She'd put Puck's hand on her knee and set to work finding his wrist. Then she'd tied it loose enough that it didn't cut off his circulation, but tight enough that it wouldn't fall off. She'd tied the other end to her right wrist, so his left and her right would be connected even if she had to be alone.

Sabrina had felt so clever and proud that Puck had been glad she couldn't see him rolling his eyes at her, even though it was affectionate. He'd had to wrap the excess around his own wrist and slowly give her slack when she needed to be away. Of course, this hadn't stopped him from yanking her hand into her face once, and it hadn't stopped her retaliation of trying to slam his face in a door. Now even Puck had to admit it was working out pretty well for them, even if he got incredibly bored whenever he had to sit outside the bathroom door or wait for her to change clothes. Thankfully, Daphne was the one who helped Sabrina put on clothes—they somehow managed not to get the string caught on Sabrina's shirts every time.

It was eerie how well adjusted she was, considering everything that had happened. By this point, she couldn't hear her own voice anymore either—she'd at least had that liberty back when she'd only been deaf, and even briefly while she'd had mute added on. Since she hadn't tried to talk out loud, she wasn't even sure when she'd lost the ability to hear herself, but the reflexive scream of picking up a mouse by the table hadn't found her ears.

She and Puck were currently the only ones home--everyone else was out on an errand, either gathering things for their meeting with Ilitha, or buying groceries. Remembering that the curse would be broken that night (supposedly) filled her with a bit of hope, and she gave the string a nice single tug. Two tugs meant 'don't come in' if he got antsy and she felt the string move too much. Also, according to their tug-language, more than four tugs meant danger. Not that she'd needed that one yet; it was just a good idea to have something like that pre-set.

Puck felt the tug on the string, and walked into the bathroom. He was already used to being by Sabrina's side constantly - he hadn't let her out of his sight, at least outside of her string-involving breaks.

He reached out and took her hand, brushing his thumb over her knuckles - as had become customary whenever he reclaimed her hand after having to let go of her. Touch had become second nature between the two of them now. It was hard to be awkward over a new relationship when you had to stay close, and one relied heavily on the other. And besides, she couldn't see the dorky grin he kept getting when she smiled at him, so he hadn't lost any of his cool image. Yet.

He wasn't sure he was going to be able to stop getting dorky grins on his face once she was un-cursed, especially not if her eyes smiled along with her lips. For now, they portrayed emotion, but it was never fully focused.

Sabrina relaxed and moved close to him. Daphne had brushed her hair that morning, so it looked shiny and soft. "Thank you," she mouthed, squeezing his hand.

She didn't hear the knock on the front door.

Puck had leaned in to kiss her cheek, but paused when he heard the knock on the door. He frowned slightly - who the heck was knocking at this point?

Puck tugged lightly on her hand, indicating that she needed to follow him where he led. She followed obediently. The only time this hadn't worked was when she'd followed him down stairs, missing one and tripping. Now she was a bit more cautious, and he stopped her if there were stairs so she'd know to be careful.

She blushed a little. That morning had been one of the mornings where he'd threatened a prank. He'd made her write out a horribly mushy and ego-maniacal love confession since she couldn't say it. It was three pages long, and he'd had to approve it. She'd been sure she had scowled throughout it, but any time she thought she might have stopped, she scowled harder. Daphne had been worried Sabrina was going to murder someone by the time Puck relented and accepted the confession.

Punk looked at her and caught her blush, grinning broadly. That confession had been a good one. He planned on keeping it - for later reference. Every confession that he extracted from her was supposed to be more involved than the previous one, and he didn't let her off the hook until she gave it. He had a total of two written ones so far, but the real fun would begin once she had her senses back.

He stopped her at the stairs and then helped her down, taking them carefully and being mindful of her feet. He didn't care too much about the person at the door waiting - if it mattered, they'd stick around. It wasn't like he was a bellboy, he was a King!

When they did eventually reach the door and open it, the woman on the other side looked to them, eyes curious. "Hello," she said. Her gold hair was in ringlets and curls down her back, and she was quite beautiful. There was a sadness about her, but also resolve.

"Hi," Puck said, looking at the woman and raising his eyebrow slightly. "Who are you?"

He stood slightly in front of Sabrina. He wasn't taking _any_ chances, since he was her protector and all that.

"My name is Goldilocks," she said. "Or Goldie for short... Jake Grimm asked me to come here."

"Did he?" Puck asked, automatically assuming that Goldilocks was one of Jake's female interests. "Well, he's not here right now. He's out. Dunno where."

"May I come in?" Goldie asked, looking a little sad. "I've come from far away to help him... With Henry and Veronica Grimm."

Puck stared at Goldie for a moment, and then looked over at Sabrina. Oh right—sleep spell, kisses, all that grownup junk. Wasn't that what Goldilocks was supposed to do? It made sense.

"...Yeah, okay, I guess you can," he said. After all, it involved Sabrina and Daphne's parents - and that was definitely something that fell under the heading of Important. He hadn't really gotten the image of Sabrina sleeping next to her parents' bed out of his head since he'd seen it. He hadn't seen her cry, but something told him she had.

He stepped away from the door and helped Sabrina do the same, letting Goldie come into the house. The lovely young woman walked in, but cocked her head to the side when she noticed Sabrina staring blankly into space without really acknowledging her. Wasn't this one of the children Jake had pleaded with her to help? Goldie had expected her to be more excited at the idea of helping, since according to Jake, the girls desperately missed their parents.

"Is something wrong with her...?" Goldie looked from Sabrina to Puck.

Sabrina had moved back, sticking close to Puck's side silently. She was a little agitated because she wasn't sure what was going on and she'd left her paper and pen on a desk somewhere.

Puck ran his thumb over Sabrina's knuckles - the gesture had become something of a reassurance, a reminder to Sabrina that he was aware of her even if he seemed distracted by something. It was how he greeted her when she woke up, when they separated with the string and reunited, and usually how he stopped her from tugging impatiently on him or smacking him for details when he was talking to someone else without explaining to her quickly. It was also used to just simply show affection, especially if she wasn't in the mood to kiss him or she was angry at him.

He looked at Goldie. "Nothing's wrong with her, she's just under a spell right now," he said. "I'm watching out for her. She can't see or hear or speak. Or smell," he added the last part as an afterthought—he'd almost stopped bathing, but the rest of the house had insisted.

Then again one of the best parts of not bathing and smelling like a little boy should was grossing Sabrina out, so it was a moot point.

Sabrina blushed, reaching up with one hand and feeling her way from his shoulder to her cheek. Once she knew where his cheek was, she leaned in and kissed it softly. She'd started getting bolder with her actions, especially because she still had a very real fear that she'd suddenly stop feeling or thinking and cease to exist. Combined with the fact that she'd discreetly asked Daphne if Puck smiled when she kissed him and gotten a one-squeeze on her left hand, Sabrina was taking full advantage of the fact that Puck wouldn't do anything bad while she was so cursed and helpless.

Or so help her she'd strangle him with the string.

"I see," Goldie said, remembering that Jake had started to tell her about the one named Sabrina being under some kind of curse. Then she took a deep breath. "Can you take me to see Henry?"

Flustered from the kiss to his cheek - and eternally glad at that moment that Sabrina couldn't see how flustered he was -, Puck nodded slightly. "Sure," he said. "What exactly are you here to do, anyway? Kiss 'em, right? Whoa, are you gonna kiss her mom or her dad? It'd be kinda cool if you kissed her mom."

"I'm not kissing her mother. Jake told me Henry and Veronica are under a sleep spell," Goldie said. "And… Well, the best way to break that is to have someone who loves you kiss you..." She fidgeted. "He's asked me to come kiss Henry."

"Yawn. Boring," Puck said with a shrug. "Kinda weird kissing him when he's married, right?"

He started for Henry and Veronica's room, leading Sabrina along as well. He had no idea how he was going to explain everything that was happening to her - it was going to take a lot of spelling out on her hand, they didn't have gestures and code for this. So far they had names and taps, squeezes for yes/no/maybe and I don't know, and even their own hitting code… (Which involved smacking the other person's forehead for seriously angry and smacking the arm for that special 'I'm pissed but I still like you so you can get away with it for now' feeling.)

But how did you explain 'Your dad's ex is going to kiss your dad to wake up your parents'? He didn't even begin to know how to add 'ick, what if they kiss with tongue?'

"It's not like he'll fall in love with me again," Goldie said, flustered. She paused to re-arrange some flowers on a desk. But she did follow him. "It's to wake him up so he can wake up his wife. That's it." She didn't want to really answer his question. 'Kinda weird to kiss him when he's married'? try 'Shredding my heart because I still love him and I'm only kissing him so he can wake up and kiss the woman he's in love with'.

But Puck was clearly not one she needed to spill her troubles to, so she didn't bother elaborating, satisfied with the new flower arrangement.

Puck eyed the flowers (_what the...?_) but kept walking. He pushed open the door to the room when they got there, a little lost in thought. He wasn't sure what would happen if it worked… Maybe he should have waited for Relda or Jake to actually be present for this. Henry and Veronica were both lying on the bed, side by side and still as asleep as they'd been the last time he'd seen them. Puck stopped walking, and drew Sabrina a little closer to him as he stood.

Sabrina held onto Puck. She reached around and found a desk, delighted to find a notepad. She wrote "Where are we?" on it, holding it in front of Puck's face with impatience.

Puck looked at the notepad, and then began to write out the answer on her palm. He was getting better at it. '_Your parents room'  
_  
Goldie walked over to the bed. Her hand traced the side of Henry's face, one she'd kissed many times in the past. She looked at his closed eyes, which had once opened and gazed at her with love.

It wasn't easy looking down at the man she still loved, knowing he'd found his own true love. The fact that once she kissed him, he'd be kissing his wife to wake her from the same spell… It hurt more than she could express, but it wasn't about her. It was about helping Henry and his family, and what kind of selfish person would she be if she just left because of her own feelings? She just wanted Henry to be happy, even if it wasn't for her. That was how much she loved him. That was the main driving force to her return. Because she would get no happiness out of Henry's suffering, or his family's suffering. Because even though it would trap her again, she wanted to help him and prove to herself that she wasn't really that selfish.

Blushing, she leaned down and kissed Henry softly on the lips. It lasted a bit longer than it needed to, tears building behind closed eyes, gathering on her lashes. The kiss was filled with many things for her. The memory of a happier time, the feeling she had wished for so many times... Sadness, heartbreak… Bittersweet closure… And then she was pulling back.

For a moment, nothing seemed to happen. Henry just lay there quietly, without any reaction. Then his eyelids fluttered, and he shifted, moving with the stiffness of someone who had been asleep for... a few years.

Slowly his eyes opened, unfocused and blurred from sleep. "Wha...?"

Goldie pulled back a bit, apprehensive. Their breakup had been painful and rough, and he had made it clear he hadn't wanted to see her again. She hadn't even had the chance to apologize to Relda Grimm. "Hello Henry."

Sabrina had taken a minute to figure Puck's words out. Goldie had been completely alone for her emotional moment, because Henry had been asleep, Veronica had been asleep, Puck had been focused on Sabrina, and Sabrina had been trying to figure out where Puck had taken her. She frowned thoughtfully, and then she wrote it down. _"My Parents?"_

Puck squeezed Sabrina's hand once, his eyes darting between Sabrina and the scene in front of him. Whoa. It had _worked?_Henry's eyes widened and he pushed himself up into a sitting position. "...Goldie?" he asked in disbelief, staring at the young woman in front of him.

She smiled a bit. "Yes... I returned here to help. Jake tells me you've been asleep for about two years now. I had to kiss you to wake you up…"

She glanced to Veronica, unable to keep looking at him anymore. "Your wife needs you to kiss her to wake her up as well."

Henry stared for another moment, but the mention of his wife made him turn to look at Veronica. His expression softened. He didn't really know what was going on - he was going to need a better explanation than what Goldie had just given him - but Veronica _was_ asleep.

He touched Veronica's cheek lightly, and leaned down, bringing his lips tenderly to hers. It was obvious from the softness of the kiss just how much he loved his wife.

While Sabrina obliviously tried to figure out why they were in her parent's room, Veronica stirred from the sleep, looking groggy and tired. Her long black hair was wavy and soft, some falling over her cheek as she shifted.

Henry pulled back, looking down at Veronica. He smiled at her gently. "Good morning," he said, though he really had no idea if it was morning or not. But he'd always greeted her when she'd woken up in the past.

Puck couldn't keep from staring. Henry and Veronica had been asleep for so long that it felt surreal that Sabrina's parents were actually awake now.

Veronica looked up sleepily and smiled. Then she sat up and looked around in confusion. "Where are we?" she murmured.

"Ferryport Landing," Goldie said sadly. "It's been two years since you went missing."

"...Two years... What?" Veronica stared at her. "Goldie?"

"We're in Ferryport Landing?" Henry asked, his eyes widening slightly. He immediately looked around the room, noting the familiarity - and then his eyes landed on Puck and Sabrina.

"Sabrina?" he exclaimed, staring at his daughter in shock. He recognized her - and if ever there needed to be further proof that two years had gone by, it was in how much she'd grown.

Veronica looked over as well, eyes widening as she saw her little girl, now a young pre-teen.

Sabrina didn't react at all, looking confused.

"Oh, Puck says she's under a spell right now. I don't think she can see or hear us," Goldie explained, sounding a little blank on that one.

"And she can't talk, either," Puck said promptly. "I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to explain all of this to her." He brushed her knuckles again, looking at her.

Sabrina smiled at Puck, squeezing his hand.

Henry narrowed his eyes slightly, seeing Puck holding Sabrina's hand and tensing at the mention of a spell on his daughter. "A spell," he repeated.

Veronica got out of bed--explanations could wait, she wanted to see her baby. And yes, she still considered Sabrina her baby. She probably always would. "What happened to her?" she asked, walking over.

"It's more like a curse than a spell," Puck said, shrugging a little. Explaining it all to Sabrina's parents was incredibly awkward. "It was supposed to kill her, but we've managed to get it from progressing that far. The old lady and the others are all working on breaking it." He looked at Veronica, then at Sabrina. Seeing Veronica awake and up close like this - wow, they really looked a lot alike, except for the hair color.

Henry got out of bed as well, slowly. A slight frown was on his face as he quietly processed what was happening. Goldie watched curiously. Sabrina had a golden comb in her hair, and she looked otherwise okay...

"So she can't hear us or see us at all?" Veronica asked softly.

"Yeah." Puck scowled for a moment. "But she can feel. The comb in her hair is letting her do that."

Veronica hesitated, then reached out and put her hand on Sabrina's shoulder.

Sabrina tensed immediately, clutching Puck's hand.

She gave a quick three squeezes to his hand--that was usually code for asking who was touching her if there was no question being asked and someone suddenly brushed against her. It meant she didn't know, and wanted to.

Puck stared down at Sabrina's hand for a moment.

"Sec," he said to Veronica. He took Sabrina's hand and placed his finger against her palm, carefully tracing out the letters, as Henry watched intently.

_'Your mom'_

Sabrina frowned in confusion. She took out the notepad, balancing carefully so she didn't let go of Puck. "I didn't understand that. Who?" Because the only logical answer she had was that he had said her mother--and her mother was in a magical coma.

Veronica waited patiently, watching Puck rather than Sabrina. His patience intrigued her—from what she remembered, Puck was a spoiled and rather rude little boy who liked to play pranks. Here he was, holding her daughter's hand and tending to her as if he really cared about her. Was he… Was he also aging? Veronica's eyes widened just a bit, and she schooled her expression. She'd deal with that later.

Puck wrote it out again, doing each letter carefully. Then he squeezed her hand in confirmation - yes, she was understanding it right.

Sabrina stared in his direction.

Then she wrote. "My mom?" squeezing his hand twice. She didn't believe him.

She continued to write, feeling anger flare through her. "Wasn't the confession good enough this morning?" Tears filled her eyes. Why was he pranking her? Especially about something so important?

Puck squeezed Sabrina's hand again. He wasn't mad at her thinking that he was pulling a prank, given a lot of the things he'd done in the past, but he was serious this time.

He reached out with his other hand and brushed at her tears, wiping them away from her eyes. He almost grimaced, remembering this time he had three people watching him, but he'd reacted before he'd thought about that little fact.

Sabrina stood there for a moment, then reached up, dropping her notebook and reaching for the woman touching her shoulder. Veronica pulled Sabrina into her arms tightly, stroking her hair in a way that completely convinced Sabrina of who she was.

She didn't let go of Puck's hand, holding back tears and silently burying her face in her mother's chest.

Puck had an odd look on his face - he wasn't sure what to make of this, or how to handle it, because he'd never been faced with a situation like this before. He just kept holding Sabrina's hand, watching her reunion with her mother.

Henry walked over then, and while Sabrina was hugging her mother tightly, he placed his hand gently on her back.

Sabrina tensed again. Another three squeezes to Puck's hand in confusion.

This time Puck didn't hesitate when he wrote the answer, and Henry didn't move his hand, waiting for the same exchange that had occurred with Veronica.

_'Your dad'_

Sabrina started to cry, sudden tears that she couldn't stop. With everything going on and building up all at once, her emotions overruled her pride. But she didn't want to let go of Puck, so finding a way to hug both her parents was hard. Henry decided to solve the problem by wrapping his arms around Veronica and Sabrina both - so that Sabrina didn't have to let go of anyone.

"Oh Henry," Veronica whispered. "She's shaking so hard..."

She nuzzled Sabrina, kissing her hair. "My poor Sabrina..."

"We're here now, Veronica," he said quietly. "We'll make sure that she's okay." Sabrina had always been so strong... the fact that she was shaking made him furious that someone had hurt her this way.

Veronica looked to Puck. "Where is Daphne?" she asked, tears in her eyes.

"Marshmallow's out with the old lady working to get what they need to break this spell," Puck replied promptly. He squeezed Sabrina's hand again, as Henry kissed the top of his daughter's head. "I dunno when they'll be back."

Sabrina gave up on trying to communicate for the moment, just holding onto her parents and Puck. She didn't even remember her own code, all she could think about was her parents being awake.

After what seemed like forever, the door opened downstairs. "We're home!" Jake called.

Sabrina didn't react.

Puck looked up towards the door. Oh, man... he was going to have to explain all of this, wasn't he? "We're upstairs!" he shouted.

Henry looked up at the sound of his brother's voice, tensing and tightening his arms around his wife and daughter.

Downstairs, Daphne set down the bag that she'd been carrying, and hurried up the stairs towards Puck's voice so that she could see Sabrina. She assumed, of course, that Sabrina was _with_ Puck.

Veronica smoothed Sabrina's hair, then looked to Puck. Puck noticed Veronica looking at him and immediately started acting nonchalant, like it wasn't that big of a deal that Sabrina hadn't let go of his hand once or that she'd kissed his cheek earlier. But he did tap Sabrina once to let her know that Daphne was back.

Jake was taking his time heading up after Daphne, thinking they were in Sabrina's room or Puck's. Then he froze, because he heard a voice he wasn't expecting.

Goldie had gone to the doorway. "We're in Henry and Veronica's room."

Daphne looked at Goldie and paused in the hallway. "Who are you...?" she asked in confusion. She turned to look at Jake, a question mark practically on her face.

"Goldie..." Jake trailed off, surprised. "You came."

She shifted. "Well, I did what you asked. I think I'm going to go visit with people now..."

"You came back to Ferryport Landing," Jake said softly. He was in awe—he hadn't expected her to ever come back, even to help Henry. And as he looked to Goldie's sad expression, her pretty eyes glittering with tears, he wanted to hit his brother for causing her so much pain.

But it wasn't like he didn't love Veronica as a sister, too. The emotions would always be conflicted when it came to his brother's choices, because the outcome had been for the best, but the delivery could have been handled better.

Goldie offered a sad smile. "You should go explain things to Henry and Veronica. They seem confused."

His eyes widened as the words sank in. "It worked?"

She just smiled, turning and walking down the hall to leave.

Daphne's eyes were slowly going huge as she listened to Jake and Goldie's exchange. She still wasn't completely sure of what was going on but...

She dashed down the hall the rest of the way, and into her parents' room. And immediately stopped short and almost tripped when she saw that her parents were no longer in bed, but standing up and holding Sabrina.

Henry stared at his youngest daughter, feeling that same rollercoaster of shock that he'd felt when he'd laid eyes on Sabrina after waking up. Daphne had grown up as well—not as much as Sabrina seemed to have grown, but she wasn't the same little girl he remembered seeing right before he'd fallen asleep.

Veronica acted faster. She reached out, offering Daphne a place in her arms. Her eyes were filled with tears. "Oh Daphne," she said softly. "You've grown so much!"

Sabrina clung a bit tighter, feeling Veronica shift and thinking her mother was going to pull away.

"Mom!" Daphne exclaimed, bursting into action and throwing herself into Veronica's arms so that she was now hugging her mother and Sabrina both. Daphne buried her face against Veronica. "Mmmf mffffm."

Jake quietly stopped in the doorway, looking to his brother and sister-in-law.

Veronica clutched both girls tightly, closing her eyes and whispering to them. Sabrina tensed. Then tapped Puck's hand once and squeezed, asking if it was Daphne. Puck squeezed Sabrina's hand in confirmation, as Daphne nuzzled Veronica.

"Mom, I missed you," Daphne said. "I missed you and Dad so much..."

Henry looked down at his daughters - his little girls - and his expression was soft. Then he looked up and saw his brother. "Hello, Jake."

Sabrina rested her head against Daphne's for a moment, then found Veronica's cheek and kissed it.

"Heya Hank," Jake said, smiling. "Welcome back. Mom and Mr. Canis'll be coming in soon."

Henry's expression darkened a bit at the mention of Mr. Canis. "So he still lives here, does he?" he asked.

The door opened and shut again, and then Relda was hurrying up the stairs to find Henry and Veronica. She and Mr. Canis had run into Goldilocks on her way out, and the girl had explained everything to them.

"Henry," Veronica admonished.

She looked to Jake. "What exactly happened to Sabrina?" she asked softly.

"The Snow Queen's daughter has been messing with her over a boy," Jake said bluntly. "First she had shards from the Goblin's mirror in her eyes and heart, once those were gone the Snow Queen's daughter cursed her to die unless all the Grimms left Ferryport Landing. We stopped it and we're breaking the spell tonight."

Sabrina was completely oblivious, relaxed and down to just sniffling in her mother and father's arms.

"You mean you've gone and gotten Sabrina and Daphne mixed up in this fairytale business?" Henry demanded. He looked at Jake, and then he looked over Jake's shoulder as Relda and Mr. Canis came into view.

"Henry," Relda said, looking at her son, and Daphne pulled back from her mother and looked up at Henry.

"They didn't really have anywhere else to go, Henry," Jake said calmly, seeing his brother's expression and knowing what he was thinking. "Sabrina said they were in abusive foster homes for two years. Almost all types of abuse."

He chose his worse carefully because Daphne was unaware of some of it--from the way Sabrina had nonchalantly talked about it with Jake, he'd picked up on some of the things that had happened to the girls. It hadn't been drastic, but that didn't change that it had been abuse.

Veronica drew in a sharp breath and held the girls tighter.

"It was horrible, Mom," Daphne said softly, leaning against Veronica and Sabrina

"I couldn't leave them in that situation," Relda said. "Of course I couldn't. They're my grandchildren, Henry."

"While I'm glad that the girls were looked after," Henry said, "You had no right getting them mixed up in this fairytale business!" Sabrina's condition was obvious, and it cut at him that his daughter was in such shape. That was first and foremost in his mind.

"Daddy, Granny didn't get us mixed up in anything," Daphne protested. "We wanted to!" Well, she'd wanted to. Sabrina hadn't.

Veronica took a deep breath. "What else should we know about Sabrina right now?"

"She can't see, hear, smell, or talk," Jake said. "She lost the ability to feel for a while too, but Gerda gave us the witch's golden comb and Daphne put it in her hair, which gave her back the ability to feel. Also the only person she's sure of--for absolute sure--is Puck."

"Really?" Veronica looked to Puck.

"According to Daphne Puck was the last person Sabrina saw before she lost her sight, and she hasn't lost contact with him since. He's our best form of communication with her," Jake answered. He put his hand on Relda's shoulder.

Puck couldn't keep the cocky grin of self-importance off of his face, his eyes shining brightly. It was nice to be needed. "Just doing what I'm here for," he said in his best 'I am Royalty' voice.

"And just how are you supposed to go about breaking the spell on Sabrina?" Henry asked. He kept his hand protectively on Sabrina's back, and he narrowed his eyes slightly in Puck's direction.

"I'm to make a delivery of certain items to the Snow Queen tonight," Relda said, "and then the spell will be lifted."

"So Sabrina doesn't actually have to be there?" Henry asked.

"Technically no," Jake said, looking a little confused. "Puck was going to stay with her here, and probably Mr. Canis."

Veronica looked to Henry warily. She already knew what he was thinking. Mr. Canis narrowed his eyes as he looked at Henry. Relda, standing next to him, was watching her son anxiously.

"Good," Henry said. "Then we'll pack up their things and be going now."

"Henry!" Relda exclaimed.

"Going?" Daphne asked. "Daddy, what are you talking about? Going where?"

"Home, Daphne," Henry said. "If Sabrina doesn't need to be here in order to have this spell broken, then there's no reason for us to stay here any longer."

Puck stared at Henry. Okay, that he hadn't been expecting. "Wait, you mean like...leave Ferryport Landing?"

"Henry," Jake said. "Where are you going to go? You don't have any money, your home was sold, and the girls are legally in mom's custody. You and Veronica have been missing two years."

"Henry, we don't need to be hasty about this," Veronica said. "Jake's right, we don't know what's going on yet."

"We've still got our bank accounts and enough cash in my wallet to get a hotel room," Henry said, looking at Veronica. "It's too dangerous to keep the girls here. Look at what's happened to Sabrina!"

"Henry, listen to Veronica," Relda said. "It's too soon to make a decision like this. We'll break the spell on Sabrina, and then we can talk about this."

Sabrina felt people tensing. Frowning, she turned her body in Puck's direction and squeezed his hand three times.

"There's nothing to talk about," Henry said. "We're leaving Ferryport Landing."

Puck stared at Henry, and he responded to Sabrina by squeezing her hand three times - he had no idea what was going on, either. Except that her father wanted to take her out of Ferryport Landing.

Sabrina looked at Puck in confusion. He didn't know either?

She clutched his hand tight.

"Henry, I don't think that's a good idea," Veronica said. "We can't communicate with Sabrina very well, it's going to scare her."

"Think about it," Jake said, looking pained at the idea of Henry forcing Sabrina to leave Puck right now.

"That won't be a problem once Mother breaks the spell tonight," Henry said, "and by then we'll be back in New York."

"Daddy, we can't go!" Daphne said urgently, looking up at him. "I don't want to leave Granny and Mr. Canis and Uncle Jake and Elvis, and Puck!" And all of her other friends...Snow White, and Mayor Charming, and Kerdy...

"This isn't open for discussion, Daphne," Henry said. "You're only five, you can't possibly understand how dangerous it is for us to be here!"

He reached out and took Sabrina's hand, pulling it without pause from Puck's and not noticing the string that was tied around their wrists with the excess currently wrapped tightly around Puck's.

"Hey!" Puck exclaimed in protest, having not expected it and caught off guard by suddenly not having Sabrina's hand in his.

Sabrina gasped, startled and frightened to lose contact. She immediately pulled her hand away from Henry and followed the string back to Puck, half-running into him as she took a few steps to get closer. She reached out and clasped his hand with hers again, other hand finding his shirt and grabbing it tightly.

"Henry!" Veronica stood fully, looking startled. She kept a hand on Daphne's shoulder.

Puck squeezed Sabrina's hand again, and his other arm made its way around her waist as he looked at Henry with a frown. Sabrina's father or not, Puck didn't like the look of fright on Sabrina's face. "Don't scare her," he said immediately, scowling at Henry.

Henry stared at Sabrina and Puck, and he clenched his jaw. He was not going to see his daughter go down the same path he had. The sooner he took her away, the better.

"You need to calm down, Henry," Mr. Canis said, his voice a growl as he looked at the other man.

Henry half-turned to face him. "I don't need you to tell me how to take care of my family," he said, clearly not welcoming Mr. Canis' input.

"Daddy, Sabrina needs Puck right now," Daphne said, looking at him, and then looking at Veronica. "If we leave he's going to be stuck here."

"She needs her family and a safe home more," Henry said firmly. There was no _way_ that he was going to permit his daughter to get that close to an Everafter - she was his little girl, and he wouldn't let her be in danger any longer.

"Henry have you heard a word we've said?" Jake demanded. "Why can't you be reasonable?"

Still confused, Sabrina squeezed Puck's hand three times, fumbling with the notebook when his arm went around her waist. This way she still held his hand, but wasn't scared of letting go.

"Is something bad happening?" she wrote carefully.

Puck squeezed Sabrina's hand once, and then tightened his arm around her waist. He wasn't going to let Henry try that again.

Henry spun to face Jake. "I'm being reasonable!" he snapped. "I'm the only one here being reasonable. Being here got Sabrina into this situation, and I'm not going to waste time and risk her and Daphne."

"The girls aren't at risk here, Henry," Relda said, looking at her. "Taking Sabrina out of Ferryport Landing right now will only serve to frighten her."

"Sabrina and Daphne are _my_ children, Mother," Henry snapped.

"Henry," Veronica whispered, voice pained. She could tell that he couldn't stand being there, but Sabrina... "Can't we at least wait until after the spell is broken? There's no danger in waiting a little longer."

Henry looked at Veronica. "Veronica," he said, "anything could happen, the longer that we stay here. "We can't waste time."

"Henry..." Jake trailed off. "You have got to get over it. The girls are safe here."

"They are _not safe!_" Henry said angrily. He pointed at Sabrina. "Look at her, Jake. Look at my daughter. She's only nine, and look what's happened to her. And Daphne... how could you let them be around any of this?"

"Sabrina's eleven!" Daphne exclaimed indignantly, stomping one foot. "And I'm not five, I'm seven!"

Henry pressed his mouth together in a line, ignoring his youngest daughter. "Veronica," he said, "Daphne. We're leaving."

***.*.*.*.***

**A/N:**

**Sky: **Will we make them leave? Bwahahahahaha you'll never know!

Jk. You'll know by the next chapter maybe. Maaaaybe. R/R, it keeps the chapters coming! ^^

I really... REALLY... hate the document manager.


	7. There's Always a Catch

**EDIT: Sky: Re-Added scene skips.**

**A/N:**

**Sky:** Okay so, many things to address for this chapter! First of all, Tanglenight is correct, book 5 they mention that the Snow Queen possibly drives an Ice Cream truck, and lives near Old Macdonald's farm!

That being said, FINEPRINT! We claimed this story took place after book 4, before book 5, so it's still legit! And this is a fanfic. We're gods. Bwahahahaha. But thank you for the awesome attention to detail, I probably skimmed it the first time I read the book XD Cause I love the Snow Queen's fairytale and I thought I'd notice that :P

Speakin' of! For the life of me, I can't find anything in books 3-5 about the vorpal blade after they use it. Does anyone know what happened to it? Since it wasn't mentioned again by the end of book 4 (as far as I noticed) we're gonna pull an explanation out of our bums and just wing it like usual XD If anyone knows what really happened to it, let us know! But still, this is AU from the end of book 4, so the events and convos from book 5-7 don't count anyway. Mwaha. Oh, and we don't necessarily hate Henry, so if you're a Henry-hater and never wanna see him redeemed, our story will annoy you eventually. Not yeeeeet. But eventually.

So, we busted butt to get this updated ASAP because of all the awesome reviews that rolled in. Almost 30 since we put up chapter 6! That rocks! Special thanks to all the people who reviewed since chapter 6 went up: **Curlscat, FaminaSG, Schadenfreude62, bobbie jo, Dramaqueenruling, msjezzi-bella, grimmgirl, Zeorzia, Trickster Queen464, Twilight0, Lara D, Hermione Grimm, Ascaisil, dog9girl, Tanglenight, RainbowofSmiles16, Mystical Moonstar, **and **Dede. ^^**

You guys put a super smile on my face and I jumped on Ayns' back and forced her to write so we could update sooner ^^

**Ayns: **Holy...wow...

Just so everyone understands my reaction, I had NO IDEA how big an A/N Sky was writing until she let me see the screen.

Since you're probably all very anxious to get to the story (if you haven't skipped over the notes entirely already), I'll make my bit short, sweet, and to the point.

Warning: Some parts of this chapter were created under the influence of Coca-Cola, Cherry Coke, and Mountain Dew. Not mixed together, but randomly sipped, at alternating intervals. They were also written at 1 am. I apologize in advance for any oddities that may have resulted from this combination.

That being said, you are all wonderful reviewers and honestly, Sky doesn't have to jump on my back too much to get me to write with all you guys out there waiting for the story.

***.*.*.*.***

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter Seven: There's Always a Catch_**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

Sabrina was trying not to let it show how confused and upset she was. She didn't like that she'd gone from being overjoyed at her parents waking up to yanked around and startled. But since she'd followed the string to Puck, she knew he was the one with her, and he wouldn't lie to her.

He'd said it was bad—okay, but what could be bad? Had the scarlet hand shown up or something, sensing Henry and Veronica had woken up?

No… That didn't sound right. She'd been hugging her parents. So logically, one of them had done the yanking. It took a moment to click before she remembered that her father wanted nothing to do with the family business or with Everafters. He hadn't wanted them to be in Ferryport Landing—he'd even lied and told them their grandmother was dead.

It looked like that hadn't changed. Maybe he just needed time to deal with it? She'd have to talk to him when she got her senses back. They could always go to New York later and make trips back and forth at some point.

She didn't want to think about a barrier keeping her apart from Puck, not now that things were going so well. She distracted herself instead, oblivious to the argument and her father's rash decision.

Sabrina shivered._ "Will you admit you were jealous now?" _she wrote to Puck. Normalcy would help in this situation, so she went for the easiest target.

Puck looked at Sabrina. And then he squeezed her hand once. Yeah. He'd admit it now.

Sabrina dropped the notebook in shock, looking in Puck's general direction. It flipped closed. She hadn't expected anything to get him to admit it. Was it that serious, that he'd let go of his pride, even for a split-second?

Then she squeezed his hand once. Yeah. She'd been jealous too.

Puck smirked - oh, he'd known she'd been jealous, and he really wasn't planning on letting her forget that point. But there was no way he'd admit his own jealousy out _loud_.

Because he'd been paying more attention to Sabrina, he hadn't noticed that Henry was acting again, and Veronica had pulled Daphne close, sighing in defeat.

Henry strode over to where Sabrina was with Puck and pulled her away from him again, grabbing her wrist and giving a hard enough tug that the string finally snapped.

Sabrina gasped, startled. Not to mention her wrist was throbbing from the sudden pain. She stumbled unsteadily, trying to find the string and make her way back to Puck like last time. When she felt the frayed edge of the string still tied around her wrist, with no trail back to Puck's hand, she panicked and started struggling to get away from Henry. Puck was too stunned to realize exactly what Henry's done, until the voices of the others snapped him out of it, and his hand went into his pocket, producing his flute.

Mr. Canis clenched his jaw, and Relda looking at her son. "Henry, please, don't do this," she said. "This isn't the way."

"I'll take care of my family the way that I see fit, Mother," Henry said firmly, ignoring Sabrina's struggles.

"Henry..." Veronica looked at Relda, an apology in her eyes. She had never seen Sabrina look so scared of her own father.

"Henry, you're scaring her!" Jake protested. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Relda looked pained, meeting Veronica's eyes. She knew that Sabrina wouldn't be scared if she just knew what was going on - but she didn't.

Daphne hurried forward to her sister and grabbed Sabrina's hand, tapping once to let her know that it was her - she'd learned some of Puck and Sabrina's code. But given that her hand was smaller than Puck's, she was pretty sure Sabrina would know it wasn't him. It made Sabrina calm down enough to let Henry pick her up, but she couldn't find a notebook to ask what was going on.

Henry ignored Jake, leading Sabrina and Daphne to the door. "Let's go, Veronica," he said.

Puck narrowed his eyes, his wings extending from his back. "You're completely crazy!" he said. "If you think I'm going to just let you take her out of here like that..." He brought his flute up, ready to send his pixies after Henry and retrieve his Sabrina—wait. _His _Sabrina? He pushed the possessive thought to the back of his mind. He didn't have time to think about it right then; he had more important things to take care of.

Mr. Canis moved further into the room and caught Puck's arm suddenly, in a viselike grip. "That's enough, Puck," he said with a growl. "He _is_ Sabrina's father, and the curse is going to be broken tonight. She'll know what's going on then. We don't have a choice."

Puck scowled, but Mr. Canis was stronger than he was and wasn't letting him pull his arm free. It was at that moment that Puck realized he wasn't going to be able to stop Henry from taking Sabrina. And since Puck was not the kind of person to admit defeat, that realization did not sit well with him. Not. At. All.

"Let go of me!" Puck shouted at Mr. Canis, struggling against the other man's grip. He had both of his arms caught, preventing him from trying to bring his flute up, and the strength of the man's hold on him made it impossible for him to break free.

When Mr. Canis didn't even flinch, Puck's struggles became more frantic. "You can't take her!" he shouted furiously at Henry. "You can't do this to her - you're absolutely crazy, you don't know anything! As soon as I get free you're going to regret this! You have no idea who you're dealing with!"

Even as Puck shouted at Henry, he knew that his words weren't going to change anything. Henry didn't look like he was going to change his mind - he was completely ignoring Puck.

Sabrina calmed down when she felt Daphne's tap, squeezing her hand to let her know she understood. But she didn't have a number for Puck, so she didn't know how to ask where he was or what was happening. She reached out blindly in any direction for him, but Veronica picked her out of Henry's arms, and she sagged a bit. Sabrina was completely oblivious to Puck's anger and shouting. If she'd had her senses, it would have flattered her.

Veronica held Sabrina close, stroking her hair so the girl wouldn't be afraid. It worked enough that Sabrina completely calmed down, but she was still trying to find Puck's hand. She trusted her mother, but she didn't want to be separated…

Jake held his tongue--because if he started now, Daphne was going to be asking for a lot of new definitions.

Daphne looked up at Sabrina tearfully, but she didn't know how to convince her father otherwise. He wasn't going to listen to her - he still thought she was a little girl.

"Henry, please reconsider," Relda said, trying one more time.

"Just break the curse the way you planned, Mother," Henry said, "and leave Sabrina to us." He took Daphne's hand, and strode out of the room with her. "If we hurry, we can still make the next train."

Veronica didn't answer Henry. She couldn't blame him for his fears and memories, but she wasn't happy with him either. Puck's reaction to their taking Sabrina away was proof enough to her that this was far from over, whether Henry liked it or not. For now though, leaving seemed to be the best option to at least try to sort it out, and she tried to convey with her eyes to the others that it would not be permanent.

After they'd left the house, she looked at her husband with an unreadable expression. She'd fought for so long to help the Everafters without his knowing, would she have to come clean now?

It wasn't like she was angry about his feelings. She hadn't grown up the way he had. She hadn't watched her father die as a direct result of innocent feelings. There had been no way for him to know back then that his brother would have tried to help Goldie leave the barrier for him, or that it would cause so much sorrow. They had just been seeking the happily ever after that Ferryport Landing was based on. So few Everafters managed it…

But she didn't think her daughters would repeat the mistakes. Everything had already happened, and there was nothing they could do about that now. All they could do was move forward from it. As soon as Sabrina was un-cursed, Veronica was sure she'd be able to talk sense into her husband and find a compromise. Until then, she just had to stay patient.

Soon enough, they found themselves on the next train out, with a confused Sabrina trying to figure out what was happening. She had remained restless for the entire walk, but she had no idea how far from her 'home' she was. Daphne managed to sneak her a stack of post-its from the station and a pen, and when the train started moving, a confused Sabrina wrote_ "Are we going somewhere?" _to Daphne, holding her hand.

Daphne bit her lip, glancing over at Henry. He was staring out the window, not noticing Sabrina's question.

Daphne took Sabrina's hand and wrote _N Y _on her palm, looking at her. Would Sabrina be happy, knowing that they were leaving Ferryport Landing? She had been wanting it for so long now…

Sabrina frowned in confusion. Convinced she had it wrong, she decided to double check. After all, Daphne was younger than Puck. Daphne was her silly little sister. She couldn't be right.

_"NY?" _she wrote on the paper.

_"1-squeeze-yes. 2-squeeze-no." _she added, in case Daphne forgot.

Daphne squeezed Sabrina's hand once, looking up at her. She was a little annoyed in the back of her mind that Sabrina had re-written the code—after all, Daphne had paid close attention to what Puck had been doing since Sabrina had lost her sight. But that wasn't the important issue at hand, so she let it go.

Sabrina didn't even hesitate.

_"Where is Puck?" _she wrote.

She knew that it was somewhat of a stupid question, but she wanted the answer. Puck wasn't supposed to leave her side until this was fixed. If they were going to New York, was he coming too? Logically her mind said no; Puck couldn't leave the barrier again, unless they'd brought the vorpal sword. But that wasn't right either, they'd separated the pieces again and no one was sure what Relda had done with it. So then, why would they be leaving, and why so soon? Her parents had _just_ woken up. There was no possible way they'd be doing everything so fast, and taking her away from the one person who could cheer her up and make her feel safe.

Right?

Daphne hesitated while Sabrina tried to piece it out, thinking for a moment. Then she decided that simpler was best when trying to communicate to Sabrina. She wrote _F L _for Ferryport Landing on Sabrina's palm, hoping her sister would understand.

Sabrina was silent for several moments, absorbing this new information. She categorized it silently into the facts she knew, rather than the suspicions she'd had based off her limited knowledge on the matter.

Her parents were awake. They were taking her and Daphne back to New York. Home. Away from Ferryport Landing, away from the Everafters (at least the ones in the barrier who hated them) and away from all the madness. It was everything Sabrina had ever wanted since the moment they'd gone missing. It was a dream come true.

On the other hand, they were taking her away from the place she'd been living for so long, with a family she'd only just begun to know. Sure she didn't get along with them all the time, but she did love them. She still wanted to make Relda proud, and get to know her immature Uncle. Okay so maybe she didn't have much of an opinion on Mr. Canis other than the fact that she thought he was pretty dangerous sometimes and she was glad she hadn't caused his death, but she still didn't mind him. And Relda loved him like family, so… He counted too.

Then there was Mirror, one of the people she considered to be a very good friend and confidante. What would it be like not having him to talk to? School was just picking up, too—and Kerdy, he was so fun and sweet…

They were taking her away from all of these things, things she wasn't sure she was ready to leave. That was when she realized the most obvious loss of all, the one that would hurt the most. She was leaving _Puck _behind. He'd had a chance to stay out of the barrier before, but he'd come back and she'd been overjoyed. This was different, she was the one leaving him behind, and he couldn't follow... And the rush could only mean that they didn't intend to go back to Ferryport Landing. At all.

It was a nightmare.

She jerked her hand from Daphne's and pushed it up against the window, using this to get up so she could try and feel her way to the nearest door. The train wasn't moving much yet, she had to get off the train!

"Sabrina!" Veronica hurried to grab her. "What are you doing?"

Sabrina tried to jerk free immediately, hoping it was Daphne who had grabbed her. She could take Daphne in a battle of strength, but the same couldn't be said for her parents.

Daphne's eyes widened, and she scrambled to her feet. "Sabrina...!" Well, that was her answer on whether or not Sabrina would be happy to leave. Clearly, she wasn't.

Henry's head snapped up, and then he was up and helping Veronica pull Sabrina back. "Get her back in her seat," he said, not wanting her to somehow hurt herself.

Sabrina shook her head forcefully, trying to get free. The train lurched a bit, knocking her off balance. She gave a soundless gasp, but it let them put Sabrina back in her chair and buckle her in.

"How do you tell her no?" Veronica asked Daphne softly.

Daphne looked at her mother. "Squeeze her hand twice," she said. "That's how she understands no."

Veronica gently took Sabrina's hand and squeezed it twice.

This made Sabrina sag in defeat, pulling away and burying her face in her hands. She was buckled up, the train was moving, her parents would probably tackle her if she tried it again, and what use was it anyway? How would she find her way back to Relda's home without Puck to guide her? She'd end up in an Asylum long before she made it to Puck.

"Once the spell's lifted tonight, she'll understand," Henry said, looking at Sabrina. Her obvious distress moved him, but he couldn't let himself waver. This _was_ the right thing to do.

"She doesn't want to go," Daphne said softly, looking down sadly. "Neither do I."

***.*.*.*.***

When they got to the hotel, Sabrina had to let Veronica lead her. She was just too helpless without her senses.

It was funny though... She was scared the entire time that Veronica or Henry wouldn't pay enough attention and she'd trip or hurt herself.

The realization that she didn't trust her own parents as much as she now trusted Puck made her feel sick to her stomach and guilty. Had two years without them really jaded her enough that she felt they were two entirely different people? Or was it just the fact that she was so helpless right now? She wasn't sure… She just didn't like it at all.

Daphne tried to fill in and keep an eye as closely on Sabrina as she could, pulling open doors and making it easier for her parents to lead her - but she'd spent more time in the past years with her sister than their parents had. And she could see that Sabrina was nervous.

Henry had enough money to rent a room for a couple of nights, determining that he'd get more money from their account the next day. When he had the key, he looked at his wife. "All right, then," he said. "Let's get to the room so that Sabrina can lie down." Now that they were in New York, there wasn't any worry about Everafters trying to come after his family - he was a lot more relaxed and at ease. His main concern now was keeping Sabrina comfortable until the spell could be broken.

"I think we need to call the police or something Henry," Veronica said in a cross voice. "After all, if we've been missing two years and abruptly show up with no reason, they're going to take the girls away from us. Your mother has custody right now."

Henry looked at Veronica. "You're right," he said with a nod. "I'll make the call and handle all of that." He thought for a moment. "We'll need to come up with something to tell them."

Sabrina, with Daphne's help, did get to a bed. She curled up miserably, too depressed to let herself be angry.

Puck had explained to her that it would be three days before she got her senses back--it was the third day now, so when she got her senses back she'd tell her parents she wanted to go back. Or bring Puck with her. Then again, if she told Henry she wanted to bring Puck out of the barrier, he'd probably fly them to Mexico and she'd never see the blonde fairy again. Deciding to use the silent boring time to come up with a convincing argument, she let herself relax a bit. She had to remind herself that it wasn't the end of the world. After all, Henry couldn't keep her away from Puck forever—and what if this whole love thing was temporary anyway? They were still just kids, they had a long way to go.

But it was a good feeling… She liked how happy she was when Puck was around. She even liked how angry he made her.

She had to convince her parents. Rather, her father. She had a good idea what side her mother would be on already.

Daphne reached out and stroked Sabrina's hair gently. Sabrina looked so miserable - she wanted to comfort her sister and reassure her that it was okay, but would it be?

***.*.*.*.***

The ride to the Snow Queen's home was quiet, even with four people in the car. Mr. Canis was behind the wheel, Relda beside him, with Puck and Jake sitting in the backseat. Puck was staring out of the window with a frown on his face – after his tirade from before, he had become irritable and surly, snapping when spoken to and keeping to himself for the most part.

He had only ceased this when it had come time to deliver the requested items, loudly insistent on being there. And then he had promptly gone silent again, his eyes fixing on some point out the car window and never leaving it.

Relda looked down at the box that she held in her lap.

The box held three items, two of which were wrapped in cloth, the third lying next to them with a ribbon tied around it to keep it together. It had taken time, but she had located and gathered items that met the Snow Queen's requirements, and in time for the spell on Sabrina to be broken.

She only wished that she would be able to see it. She could only hope – hope and pray – that once Sabrina regained her senses she would be able to explain and convince her father to bring herself and Daphne back.

Relda hadn't doubted that she would find the items that the Snow Queen required, but their identities had temporarily eluded her. Physical proof that Sabrina could love; a representation of Relda's feelings for Sabrina; and the most difficult one, something that Relda would never give up unless Sabrina's life were in danger.

The first had turned out to be the easiest of the three. The proof of Sabrina's ability to love had been secured within the Hall of Wonders – the shard of the goblin's mirror that Sabrina had cried out when she and Puck had broken its hold on her. Relda knew that if Sabrina hadn't loved Puck, she never would have been able to rid herself of the shard with simple tears. It was the most definitive proof that there was, and it lay tucked in the box, wrapped in cloth to keep it from being damaged or causing damage.

The second item had been more difficult. A representation of Relda's feelings for her granddaughter – for Relda, she had thought of any number of items. But each time she had discarded it, unsure of whether or not the Snow Queen would identify the feelings that Relda associated with the item. In the end it had been Daphne who had helped Relda discover the perfect representative. Daphne had found the broken pieces of Basil's glass rose in Sabrina's room – pieces which Sabrina had been attempting to recombine and fix to make up for breaking it when she'd been under the influence of the shards.

Despite Relda's insistence to Sabrina that she didn't blame her for what had happened to the rose, Sabrina had continued her attempts to glue the pieces back together. Realizing this, knowing this, made Relda's feelings for her granddaughter only grow; the rose was a representation, now, of the bond that had grown between Relda and Sabrina – of the bond that had developed when at one time, Sabrina hadn't trusted her at all. And Relda loved her granddaughter all the more for it.

The pieces of the rose lay wrapped up in the second, larger bundle within the box. And nestled between the two bundles was the third – a single piece of paper rolled into a scroll with a red ribbon tied around it.

At the time Relda had been at a loss. If Sabrina were in trouble she knew she would have given up anything to keep her safe, to save her life. But what was that one item, that one specific item, which would signify this the most? That was what Relda had had to figure out.

When she had realized the most important thing that she had to sacrifice for Sabrina's life and safety, the answer had seemed almost too obvious. But no matter how many times she looked at it, she had realized that there was no better answer.

What was the most significant possession that Relda would give up to save Sabrina? Her life in Ferryport Landing.

And so the title deed for her house lay in that box, taken from the safety deposit box it had been living in, rolled up and tied securely to prevent it from becoming damaged.

Now, with those three items gathered and secure in their box, Mr. Canis pulled the car into the driveway of the Snow Queen's mansion. Relda held the box tightly as she got out, not a trace of nervousness to be found on her face. She had faith that she had met the requirements needed to free Sabrina from the curse. She had fulfilled her part – it was now up to Ilitha.

***.*.*.*.***

Ilitha turned to Relda after the items had been brought, and set upon a crystal table. The title deed surprised her a little. Klarissa's initial demands had been for all the Grimms to leave Ferryport Landing. That Relda would actually be willing was startling.

She looked over the items, not asking for explanations. To her, they explained themselves. Especially the mirror shard. It was clearly the most obvious, and she understood the meaning immediately.

Ilitha's expression was one of indifference as she raised one hand over the items, sparkling energy flowing to and from. Once she'd collected enough, she brought her hand to her lips and blew, ice crystals fluttering down to the items. The magic pulsed, making Jake shudder, and then it vanished.

Ilitha picked the items back up and turned them over to Relda. She had no use for them. Turning away, she spoke softly. "The curse will be broken now. She will regain every sense she has lost easily."

Relda released the breath that she had been holding, and looked down at the items that Ilitha had handed to her. "Thank you," she said.

Then she paused and looked back up.

"Is there anything else that needs to be done?" Relda asked. She had noticed, with her mind for details, that Ilitha hadn't guaranteed in her words that Sabrina would instantly regain her senses.

Ilitha didn't turn back to her. "In the same order she lost her senses, she can regain them. As her eyes fall upon the one she is in love with, her sight will return. As he speaks, she will hear him and regain that sense. And so forth. It is the main reason I needed to know if she was capable of love. The fact that you brought me a shard from the Goblin's Mirror confirms that it can easily be fixed. You obviously don't need to search for the one she loves, he must be present in your life and near her already."

Jake stared. And then paled. "Oh hell."

"There's always a catch with these things, isn't there?" Mr. Canis growled.

Realization dawned on Relda. "Oh, dear," she said softly, and she turned to look at Puck.

Puck hovered in the air, his wings beating rapidly to keep him up. "Wait a minute," he said. "Wait a minute. You mean Sabrina's not going to regain any of her senses until _I'm there?_" Which meant... As Jake had put it, oh hell!

"Dammnit," Jake whispered. "I have to find Henry and Veronica and get them to bring her back," he said to Relda. "My brother is such an idiot."

He should have guessed--he'd _known _separating Puck and Sabrina had been a bad idea!

Relda looked at Jake and nodded worriedly. "You're the only one who can bring them back, Jacob," she said. "I can't leave here - and neither can Puck."

Puck scowled fiercely. If they'd still had that sword, leaving wouldn't be a problem! He'd never minded the barrier, really, until that exact moment.

Jake nodded to Relda, then glanced to Puck. "I'll go get her and you can fix her. Then we'll find a way to keep my idiot brother from taking the girls out of here again."

He wondered then--was Puck worried that Sabrina would still want to leave? It had been all she'd talked about for a while. It could have just been the panic of separating in that moment that had made Sabrina protest at all. Jake's pondering was easy to interpret.

Puck looked at Jake, and he scowled. "Yeah," he said. "Bring her back here, and I'll fix her." He'd deal with the whole Sabrina wanting to leave later - after she was brought back and she could regain her senses.

He put his hands on his hips. "And be quick about it!" he added, with all the authoritative haughtiness of a fairy king.

Jake rolled his eyes. It would take some time, and thankfully he wouldn't have to listen to Puck complain like everyone else would.

***.*.*.*.***

When morning rolled around, a very tired Veronica looked to Henry. They'd been explaining things to police, and their cover story was amnesia from a driving accident. They had detailed it out cleverly, and were working on getting custody back.

Thankfully they just needed to handle legal matters via phone or paperwork, so they had some time to the family.

"I'm going to wake up Sabrina and explain everything to her," Veronica said. "You should come with me."

Henry nodded, rubbing his eyes wearily. Enchanted sleeps weren't as refreshing as the real deal. "Yes," he said. "She's probably going to be confused until we explain it to her."

Sabrina was fast asleep and holding Daphne's hand in the bed. When Veronica spoke softly, calling the girls' names, she had no reaction.

Gently, Veronica stroked Daphne's hair behind her ear, and then Sabrina's. It was a trick that always seemed to wake them up. It worked better than screaming right in Daphne's ear, which sometimes happened to be the only way to wake the girl as far as anyone knew.

Sabrina shifted groggily, opening her eyes and sitting up. She yawned.

Daphne stirred, and then shifted. She smiled sleepily, opening her eyes and seeing her mom. "Hi, Mom," she said sleepily. "Is it morning already?"

Henry looked at Sabrina, his expression soft as he regarded his daughter.

Sabrina looked around. Then squeezed Daphne's hand. She tapped a few times, indicating she had something to say, and hoping Daphne was awake.

Veronica frowned.

Daphne looked at Sabrina, startled. Wasn't...wasn't Sabrina supposed to be able to talk now? It was morning.

She scrambled for Sabrina's pad and paper, and put it into her hands. "Sabrina...?"

Confusion appeared in Henry's eyes.

Sabrina yawned and wrote carefully._ "What time is it?"  
_  
Veronica frowned again, looking to Henry and then back to her daughters. "Sabrina?"

_"Bedtime yet?" _Sabrina continued. After all, the curse would be broken before morning.... She'd hoped she could just fall asleep to make time go by faster and get it over with, but apparently she wasn't that lucky.

Daphne bit her lip, and then reached for Sabrina's hand and squeezed it twice. No...it wasn't bedtime. It was morning... She looked at Veronica helplessly.

"The curse should have been broken by now," Henry said. "Why is she like this?"

"We should have stayed to make sure," Veronica sighed.

_"When is it?"_ Sabrina wrote with a frown. _"It can't be morning."_

Daphne squeezed Sabrina's hand once, and then hugged her sister tightly. Why hadn't it worked? Granny would have made sure that she got the items in time - Granny always came through, so why hadn't it worked?

Henry pressed his lips together. "Magic," he said angrily. "This is all the fault of magic." It couldn't be trusted.

Sabrina paled. Then she scrambled out of bed and rushed blindly for the exit. She clutched the string around her wrist in panic. If it was morning and the curse hadn't been broken, what if it never would be? She needed to find Puck!

"Sabrina!" Veronica cried. It was dangerous for her to try and do that on her own!

Henry moved swiftly, catching Sabrina and holding her still before she could run into anything. "Sabrina...!" He reached for her hand and squeezed it twice. She couldn't run, she'd only get hurt.

Sabrina struggled and fought him, much more fiercely this time. She didn't know who it was, but she figured it was her dad. It was stronger than Daphne and not as slender or soft as her mother. She had to get back to Ferryport Landing!

Henry's eyes widened in shock at just how fiercely Sabrina was fighting him - she was stronger than he expected, but then again, he was still used to her being a nine-year-old. He looked at Veronica with wide eyes.

He tried to pull her back towards the bed, tightening his arms to keep her from breaking free. "I'm sorry, Sabrina, but this is for your own good," he said firmly.

Sabrina struggled harder, then froze.

The comb fell from her hair, landing on the floor. All of Sabrina's struggles stopped, and she just stood there with a panicked look.

"Henry the comb...!" Veronica hurried to retrieve it, but she didn't know what was happening, exactly. She'd been about to speak to Henry about why Sabrina was fighting, right up until the comb had fallen out. Hadn't Daphne or someone said the comb was letting Sabrina feel?

Daphne's eyes widened. "No!" she gasped. She hurried to Veronica and held out her home. "Mom, she needs that comb or she won't be able to feel anything either! I have to put it back in her hair!"

Veronica misunderstood. She brushed Sabrina's hair and put the comb back in for her.

It glowed briefly, and then Sabrina herself vanished. The comb fell to the ground, snapping in half. Henry paled and stunned, staring at the broken comb and where Sabrina had been.

"_No!_" Daphne cried, a horrified look on her face. "_Sabrina!_" Where was her sister? What had just happened?

Veronica picked up the broken comb and looked to Henry in alarm. "Call your mother. _NOW, Henry Grimm." _Her full-fledged pissed from the night before was back.

There was a knock on the door.

Henry, feeling numb and in shock, didn't argue with his wife. He reached for the phone, pale.

At the same time, Daphne rushed to the door to open it. Her heart was pounding, and she looked like she was going to panic.

Jake looked down at Daphne. "Oh good, it's you this time," he said. "The last five people were very rude. Where's Sabrina? The curse is broken but she has to go get all her senses back manually."

Veronica looked over at Jake, pale. Manually?

Henry's hand froze over the phone receiver, turning when he heard Jake's voice. "Jake," he said, seeing his brother.

Daphne suddenly threw her arms around Jake. "Uncle Jake!" she said, relieved to see him. He'd know what to do - he had to know. "Sabrina's gone!"

"Gone?" Jake blinked. "What do you mean?"

"She was panicking and Henry tried to restrain her. The comb fell out of her hair, and when I put it back in, she vanished and the comb broke," Veronica said in a worried voice. "Where did she go?"

"...I have no idea," Jake stared at the broken comb. "All I know is, the only way she can get her senses back is if she finds Puck."

Henry frowned. "Puck," he repeated. "What does that boy have to do with it?" He didn't understand why Puck had anything to do with Sabrina's recovery.

"Because..." Jake trailed off. He couldn't tell Henry the whole truth, he'd flip. But then... Who cared? "Because Sabrina's in love with him and the spell won't be fixed until she hears, sees, smells, and feels the person she's in love with. So she's not going to be able to do any of those things until she sees Puck. Literally, she has to see him first, then hear him, then speak to him, then smell him, then touch him. Or something like that."

Veronica clenched her fists. They would have known that if Henry hadn't been so stubborn...

Henry's eyes widened, and he wasn't sure what hit him harder. The fact that Sabrina was in love with an Everafter, or the fact that his actions had prevented Sabrina from being cured. And now...

"We have to go back." Daphne looked at Veronica and Henry. "We need to go back and talk to Kerdy's mom. The comb used to belong to her, maybe Gerda can tell us what happened to Sabrina."

"Okay," Veronica said. She picked Daphne up.

Then she looked to Henry. "You, call your mother right this minute and explain to her what happened. And then I don't want to hear anything from you until Sabrina is back and cured. Understood?"

Henry looked at her, and then nodded slowly. "I understand," he said, reaching for the phone and dialing Relda's phone number.

"Uncle Jake," Daphne said, hugging Veronica and turning to him, "do you have Kerdy's phone number? We can call him and talk to his mother that way." She was anxious to get any information, and she didn't want waste any time.

"Yeah I was just about to call," Jake said, taking out his phone. A moment later, he had explained to Kerdy that he needed to speak with Gerda.

Veronica watched Henry with a look that clearly said there would be problems later, regardless of how fast they fixed the current problem.

Henry winced - having his wife angry with him was not a good thing, and he knew it.

But right now, his thoughts were on his daughter. When Relda picked up the phone, Henry managed, in halting words, to explain what had happened; how Sabrina hadn't recovered her senses, how she'd struggled and the comb had come out, and then how she had vanished when Veronica had put it back in.

Relda whispered something in German, and then covered the phone with her hand, turning to look at Mr. Canis and Puck and explain what Henry had just said.

"_WHAT?" _came Puck's outraged shout through the phone, loud and clear even with Relda's hand covering it.

"Hey Hank," Jake hung up his phone and looked over. "Gerda says the comb will activate and fulfill a wish for both people, the one who uses it and the one who receives it, if the wishes are along the same lines. Daphne wanted to help Sabrina, and Sabrina wanted to be able to feel because she was scared, that's how she got it back. What did you want, Veronica?"

Veronica bit her lip. "I just wanted Sabrina to feel safe, and not scared."

Henry frowned. "Hang on, Mother," he said into the phone. He looked at Jake. "So how did Veronica's feeling result in Sabrina disappearing?"

"Sabrina must have felt something that made her disappear," Daphne said. "Sabrina wanted to go back to Ferryport Landing." She looked at Veronica, then at Henry. "That's why she tried to get off the train, and why she tried to leave just now. She must have wanted to get back to Puck!"

Veronica looked down at her daughter, then pointedly at her husband. He had better explain all of that to Relda, and fast.

Henry turned back to the phone. "Mother, did you hear any of that?" he asked. He went over what Daphne and Veronica had just said.

Relda thought this through quickly. "So if the comb works in the way that Gerda says," she said, "then Veronica's wish for Sabrina to feel safe, combined with Sabrina's urge to return here to where Puck is, means that she disappeared in order to get to Puck."

"Is she there with you now?" Henry asked anxiously. He knew Puck was there, too - he could hear him in the background.

"No..." Relda looked over at Puck, Mr. Canis, and an anxious Elvis. "But it's possible that the barrier could be keeping her back."

Puck stared at Relda for a moment. He was listening to her end of the conversation intently, following it - and if he was following it correctly, the old lady was saying that Sabrina got moved somewhere in Ferryport Landing? Or near it?

Puck extended his wings and suddenly shot out of the house, deciding that wasting time was stupid and that he needed to find Sabrina right then. Before she got any more freaked out than she already had to be.

"Puck!" Relda exclaimed.

"What happened?" Henry demanded.

"Puck just left - he must be trying to find Sabrina now," Relda said, looking at Mr. Canis in worry. He was frowning, but he hadn't stopped Puck, coming to the same conclusion.

Henry looked back at his brother, wife, and Daphne. "It sounds like Puck just went to go find Sabrina," he said.

"Of course he would," Jake said. "If you'd have stopped and listened before forcing Sabrina to leave, you'd find out just how much he'd do for her. Not that he'd admit it. Right Pumpkin?" He looked to Daphne to back him up while Veronica listened quietly.

Daphne looked at Jake, and smiled, nodding. "Puck's always protected Sabrina," she said. "Even when they were just getting on each other's nerves all the time." She turned back to her parents. "Puck will find her."

"Let's go back," Veronica said quietly. "I have a lot I want to talk about with Relda."

She kissed Daphne's hair, then looked to Jake. He understood the rules. She was not talking to Henry right now.

Henry took a deep breath. "Mom," he said into the phone, "we're on our way back. We'll come back with Jake."

Relda breathed a sigh of relief. "All right," she said softly. "We'll be here waiting for you." She hung up the phone then, and turned to Mr. Canis. "I hope Puck finds Sabrina."

"If anyone can find her," Mr. Canis said firmly, "that boy can."

***.*.*.*.***

**A/N:**

**Sky: **I'm sorry! It ended up being kinda long again ; ; and we did a lot of the editing at like 1 AM so I hope there aren't a ton of typos and errors and whatnot. :X! R/R Luvvies!

**P.S. **Whoops! Add/edit to fix one sentence, one paragraph indent, and change Harry to Henry. My bad, we're doing Harry Potter RP right now too. XD Thanks DeDe!


	8. The King's Confession

**EDIT: Sky: Re-Added scene skips.**

**A/N:**

**Sky: **Squeee ^^ You reviewers are so nice. And I noticed we had like 4 people nominate us on that 'best in the category' thing. So sweet! That has us positively giddy. I didn't expect any nominations since the story is so hugely long, but you guys are friggin awesome. Every nomination made me want to write a ton more! And someone also nominated "Flip", that was unexpectedly huge AWESOMENESS! But I'd rather people go for No Matter What over Flip ^^ Since it's just one of my silly rambling stories. In any case, I'll have to do something special for the people that nominated/vote for us on the 24th ^^ Don't forget to check out the other nominated fics though, a lot of them are also super awesome!

:3 I'll keep my part of the A/N short and sweet (Well, as short as I can go) since we chalked up 7k on this chapter _

This is my favorite chapter until we reach The Heartless plot… What's that you say? Nothing ^^ nothing at all… Bwahahaha. Anyway, thank you to all our reviewers of course, especially the ones who have reviewed since chapter 7 went up: **Loodia LoveStar, RainbowofSmiles16, SnowsongIsAJaypawFan, Schadenfreude62, Tanglenight, HoLliwOoDbOuNd13, Ascaisil, Trickster Queen 464, dog9girl, Twilight0, msjezzi-bella, ZOMBIEfiedCrayons, bluejeans12, DeDe, Sabrinagoodfellow, FaminaSG, grimmgirl, bobbie jo, Queen Lucy of Narnia, iD Puckabrina Percabeth iD, curlscat, LylaDomae, **and **Sophie ^^**And sorry, we will never let our unedited raw version see the light of day. XD RP format is very interesting. We're still not even halfway through the story at this point also. This is over 100 pages worth, but we really do have 300+. Most likely we'll have to make a convincing 'series ending' to satisfy ourselves on this.

**Ayns: **Finally! I've been hoping we'd get to this chapter eventually. This chapter happens to contain one of my absolutely favorite scenes, both to read and to write.

No, I'm not going to tell you what it is. You get to figure that out for yourselves. ^^

Lol, no, not really, you don't have to figure it out. But kee, I'm very happy that this chapter is out, for many reasons. So please enjoy this chapter just as you have enjoyed the previous ones so far. :3

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter Eight: The King's Confession_**

**_*.*.*.*.*  
_**  
She stumbled again, but she wasn't really aware of a change. She couldn't feel anything other than whether or not she was moving, on the ground, or standing.

Maybe she just couldn't really feel people? But then again she could have been walking right into a tree for all she knew, and she wasn't feeling it. All her mind seemed to register was the simple law of gravity. If she was falling, she knew it. If she could fall, she was aware of it. That was the only way to distinguish whether or not she was standing or sitting, really. Same with the moving.

In this silent, unfeeling hell, all she could do was move forward and hope...

But it was useless. Who was she kidding? Ever since the comb had fallen out and she'd lost feeling again, she'd been pretty aware of how bad her situation had gotten. Heck, for all she knew, she was walking into the hotel door. The only thing that made her think she might not be in the hotel anymore was the fact that she had freedom to fall over a lot. As silly as it sounded, she doubted her parents or Daphne would let her walk into walls or fall down stairs. They'd restrain her, and she'd be aware of it, right? So she wasn't in the hotel anymore, but she was still lost. Heck, even if she did manage to find Puck, she wouldn't know it. That thought alone made Sabrina want to curl up in a ball of hopeless misery. Why had she made things worse?

She slumped and wrapped her arms around what she hoped was her knees, silently weeping. It was just too much to deal with all by herself. She had never been more scared and alone. And the one she wanted to see the most...

Was on the other side of a barrier she didn't even notice.

Sabrina was unaware that her current resting place was inches from a powerful barrier that she had once smacked into with a certain fairy she claimed to love. It had been the first place her lips had touched his, and that had been from CPR when she'd been sure she had hated him.

Her head was down in her arms, and she had leaned against a tree with one foot in the water. She didn't notice that it was a rainy afternoon and that a water snake was coming towards her, hissing. She couldn't feel any of it.

Sabrina was completely convinced that soon she'd just stop... Existing again. She was going to just stop having thoughts and she'd be gone. The thought scared her so badly that she couldn't bring herself to move. And Puck wasn't going to come after her. Why should he? She had left him behind. At first, she'd had hope that he'd be looking for her too, but then, why hadn't he stopped her from leaving if that was the way he felt?

She would have given anything for one of his pranks, and to have been able to feel it. Anything to show her that Puck was there.

But she couldn't feel, hear, see, smell... And now she'd lost her hope.

***.*.*.*.***

The rain pelted down – it felt like it had been going on since Puck had left Relda's house in search for Sabrina.

Despite the fact that his wings had, on occasion, felt waterlogged, the faerie boy had only one thing on his mind, and that was the task at hand. He had rushed straight to the barrier and had begun a constant flight around the perimeter of it, his eyes focused outside of it. The fact that Sabrina was most likely on the other side of it wasn't a comfort to Puck; there was a lot of space on the other side of that barrier.

And then he saw her. Smaller than she had any right to be, it was her blonde hair that stuck out the most. But Puck had never been more relieved to see someone in his life. He flew as fast as he could towards her.

And just barely remembered the barrier, pulling up short as he realized that it stood between himself and her. "Sabrina!" he shouted, his eyes wide.

And they grew wider when he caught sight of the snake. "SABRINA!"

Sabrina had absolutely no reaction, just crying silently in her arms. He wanted to say words that would make a sailor blush when he realized she still couldn't hear, so she wouldn't look up. How was he supposed to get her attention? She only lay there, crying - not even reacting to the snake. Couldn't she feel it? He clenched his fists. No, she couldn't feel it… The comb had fallen out, and even though Veronica had put it back in, this time the wish was to put her closer to Ferryport. Daphne's wish had worn off… She didn't have the ability to feel, which meant he couldn't even hope that the snake would make her accidentally jerk and look up at him.

That was all it would take, right? All she had to do was look at him and she'd get sight back. But that didn't help if she wasn't going to look up!

She didn't feel the snake slide over her foot. Luckily, it decided she wasn't worth it. With a hiss, it slid towards Puck instead. He had been loud.

Puck grinned wickedly when he saw the snake start towards him. "That's right, you little slitherer," he said. "C'mere!" A mere snake was no match for Puck - and it got the potentially dangerous thing away from Sabrina.

The snake lunged at Puck, launching with fangs out.

Puck's hand whipped out and snatched the snake, holding it by the head so that it couldn't bite. "Sorry, slitherer, but I'm way too good a meal for you."

He pitched the snake as hard as he could, throwing it into the distance - since he was flying, he had some good height.

Then Puck turned back towards Sabrina, a feeling of frustration coming over of him. He was _so _close to her. But that didn't matter. Close wasn't good enough.

Puck suddenly narrowed his eyes, seeing her hopeless posture. He knew enough about her to know when she'd given up. It was usually when he decided to tease her the hardest, to get her to snap out of it. But this time, he couldn't do anything for her. A barrier was keeping them apart. He didn't want to leave her there in case something else dangerous happened, even though going back to Relda and having someone else come get Sabrina was the only logical thing to do. A Grimm could easily leave the barrier and pick her up.

It was so incredibly frustrating to stand there, trapped by a barrier he'd willingly re-entered, while the girl he cared about gave up hope on the other side. He couldn't imagine what it had to be like for her. And the worst part was, the first time she'd lost feeling, she'd probably had the hope that he hadn't left her side.

This time, she knew he wasn't with her. She had been trying to _get _to him. That thought alone made him feel a sharp pang in his stomach. It was close to feeling nauseas, but it wasn't that. He knew what it was.

Helplessness. The feeling of failing someone he cared about. It was new, and he didn't like it. Sabrina was the first girl he'd ever actually cared about, and the only one he trusted. He _couldn't _fail her! He landed, wings going limp behind him like a cape, and pressed his hand against the barrier. Everything that had been building up inside of him was now threatening to bubble over and spill out, in a way that it never would have if she'd been capable of hearing him. He felt like talking to her, complaining, confessing, getting it all off his chest even though she couldn't hear him.

So he did.

"Come on, Sabrina," Puck said, voice frustrated. "I'm here - right here, and I'm not going to be going anywhere. I told you I wouldn't, right? Heck, look - I've even still got this string attached to my wrist, even though the color doesn't do anything for me."

"You know why I kept pulling all of those pranks on you, don't you? I mean, yeah, okay, hello, Trickster King. It's what I do. But I used to be an equal-opportunity prankster. It wasn't until I met you that I decided to just pull pranks on _you_ mostly. I guess I just wanted you to be noticing me, and that's the only way I know how to get attention.

"Of course, then you had to go and make a hero out of me, and I couldn't stop saving you. It was like once I started I just had to keep going." He shook his head slightly. "You really did something to me, Sabrina Grimm. And yeah, I was jealous of the way all the guys were looking at you at school. I was even jealous of Kerdy, but hey, I got the girl in the end on that one."

He frowned lightly, eyes changing to a silvery blue as he watched her, unmoving and unresponsive. Then he sighed, some of the frustration just melting away into more of an acceptance.

"And I want to keep the girl. 'Cause, see, I really am in love with you, Sabrina. I've been alive for thousands of years, and this is the first time I've ever been able to say that about anyone. It's not just that I like kissing you, though that's a bonus and I _do_. I'm really...honestly...in love with you." He looked at her in frustration. "And it's practically killing me here that I can't even _get_ to you!"

He closed his eyes, and then opened them. "C'mon, ugly. You know I hate saying this mushy crap. What's it gonna take to get you to look up at me? That's all you have to do… And I'm not going anywhere 'til you do!"

A dry laugh caught him unexpectedly, and he knelt down, getting a bit more comfortable. "Of course, I'm not gonna leave even when ya do look up, either. You're stuck with me, Grimm. I'm not going anywhere. C'mon… Sabrina," he looked at her, as if he could will her to get up with his gaze. "I don't know what you think, but this isn't just gonna go away. This whole 'I love you' business we got ourselves into. Even if you're kinda stupid and neither of us know what we're talking about, we'll get better at it. I mean, I know I will, so you'd better. Besides, you owe me a lot more confessions, Grimm."

Puck sighed, unsure of whether he should be annoyed or relieved that she hadn't been able to hear what he'd just confessed. Because while it had felt good to get all of it out, he wasn't sure he would have ever lived it down if she'd heard him. He fell silent then, just waiting. But he meant what he'd said. He wasn't going anywhere. And if he did, he was taking her with him.

***.*.*.*.***

Sabrina felt a tug, but she didn't know where it was coming from. She hadn't heard a thing, but her heart suddenly surged as if every fear in her world was being comforted. It was so intense that she stopped crying, taking soft breaths. Something just felt… Right. It was calming, the most peaceful thing she'd felt in a really long time.

Slowly, her knees unbent to the point that she wasn't completely curled up, but her face was still hidden, and she was still huddled on herself a bit. The hand with the cord around her wrist seemed to be moving, edging closer to the barrier, but she couldn't feel it. She didn't know what to do.

Why did she feel like she was so close, and all she needed to do was make it a bit farther before everything would be okay? Why had she chosen to give up?

She was Sabrina Grimm. She didn't give up. She went down kicking and screaming! How could she have ever thought she could lie down and cry like a baby?

Her fingers just barely brushed the barrier, but didn't pass through. She was trying to stand, legs shaking and scraped up. She had quite a few bruises and cuts from stumbling and falling a lot, and she was shivering even though she couldn't feel the cold. It was a good thing she was pretty sure no one else was around. She didn't want anyone to see her looking so pathetic.

One hand propped against the tree, the other still just barely brushing near the barrier as she managed to stand. Her eyes were still on the grass, as lovely and blank as ever. She couldn't see, but she was getting ready to keep moving. She had to.

Puck suddenly stood, pressing his hand against the barrier - if she would just put her hand through, he could grab it. She hadn't moved after he'd finished talking, so he'd sat there in silence for a little while. It had only been five minutes—and he recognized that she was back in her kick-butt mode. She was going to keep walking, and he just hoped it was towards him, and not right into the water!

"I'm right here, Sabrina," he said, looking at her, talking to her even though she couldn't physically hear him still. The rain had dampened his hair and was wetting his clothes, but he didn't care. "Look up. Lift your head and come forward already, jeez. I'm right here."

Sabrina trembled, her hair soaked and clinging tightly around her. Then with a deep breath, she raised her head to continue onward.

And then her blue eyes went wide with shock as she found herself looking right at Puck. She was so startled and disoriented that she couldn't speak or think clearly. All she could figure out was that she could see Puck, even though the world was still silent and unfeeling.

There was no way to mistake the recognition in her features--she could see him.

Puck's eyes widened with shock as he realized that Sabrina's eyes were focused on him - really, truly focused. "You can see me!" he exclaimed, staring into her eyes.

An audible gasp left her. "Holy crap! I heard that!" she cried aloud. And then another gasp. She'd heard herself too! "Puck!"

She was still outside the barrier, overwhelmed as her senses came rushing back. She could hear the rain--but she couldn't feel it.

Puck grinned broadly, holding out his hand to her. "You've got to come through the barrier, Sabrina," he said. "Take my hand!"

She didn't hesitate to do so, taking his hand and crying out when she could suddenly feel _everything. _She took two steps and then flung herself against him, hugging him tightly around the neck and burying her face in his shoulder. She could smell him (although it wasn't smelly, he smelled more like fresh rain and a boyish sweat) too, and she realized that she'd noticed that before the touch, but it hadn't overwhelmed her the way the touch had. "How?" she cried.

Puck wrapped his arms around her tightly, and then his wings as well, to protect her from the rain. "That snow lady said that I had to be there to get your senses back," he said. "That I had to be the one you saw, heard...everything."

Sabrina gave a soft sob of relief, no longer quite so cold when he held her. "How did I get here? I don't even know what was happening and then I couldn't feel anything," she rambled.

"You just kind of...appeared here, I guess, that's what your parents said," Puck said. "They figured you were trying to get to me, but the barrier didn't let you get all the way back to Ferryport Landing. So I came out to find you. Guess you realized how dumb life would be if you didn't have me in it," he said in a cocky voice.

"How did I appear here?" Sabrina pulled back enough to look up at him in confusion. She didn't even mind the cocky attitude. "I don't have any magic on me..."

"Daphne put a comb in your hair that Kerdy's mom gave her, remember? When Daphne did that, it helped you feel again, but then the comb came out and your mom put it in - I think that's what the old lady said. Anyway, the comb does what you want or something, and you wanted to be here. Like I said, ya just couldn't stay away from me." He looked down at her, his eyes wavering with emotion that he couldn't conceal this time.

Sabrina looked up at him, her eyes filling with tears again. She didn't deny that she hadn't been able to stay away from him, although she didn't know if she was ready to tell him she'd tried to jump off of a train to make sure she could stay near him. More importantly, she realized she'd been wrong about how he would feel about her almost leaving. He hadn't abandoned her.

"And you came looking for me," she whispered. "Puck, thank you. I was scared..."

"Well, don't be," Puck said quietly. He held her so that her head rested against his chest, wings sheltering her and not himself. "I'm not going anywhere, Sabrina."

"I don't want to go anywhere either," she whispered, resting her head against his chest quietly. "I love you, Puck. I was jealous before. You're great, you're the best trickster ever, and you're the best villain, but you're the best hero too, okay?" Those were all things she'd had to say in her confessions on paper, but she felt like he needed to hear it too. She felt like it was real. Even if all the adults overlooked it as 'puppy love' or childhood love, she knew It would always be Puck. Two years in the future, ten years, more… She'd still be in love with the Trickster King. No matter what.

Puck grinned, thoroughly enjoying her praise. "Well, I know I am," he said. "Glad to hear you finally admit to it." He pressed his lips against the top of her head, sliding his hand up her back and into her hair. "Love you too," he added in an almost inaudible murmur. "But you don't need to advertise that part. You can say it to me all you want, though."

"Don't get used to it, I'm just emotional right now," she whispered. "I still think you're a brat." She did hug him tighter, closing her eyes. "Ow..."

Now she could feel where she'd hurt herself. She felt like a pin cushion.

Puck frowned. "Are you okay?" he asked. "Are you hurt? Where?"

"I don't know," she mumbled, pulling back to look at herself. Her hands were a bit scraped up, there was a cut on her left leg bleeding into her sock, bruises on her arms, legs, and face. "I think I might have walked into some stuff..."

She shivered. "And I'm freezing."

"Hang on to me." Puck unwrapped his wings from around her, and picked her up. "You'll be warm in no time."

Sabrina blushed, then reached up and wrapped her arms around him. "Thanks, Puck," she murmured. "For everything."

Puck looked down at her for a moment, as he lifted into the air. "The best way that you can thank me," he said, a smile spreading across his face, "is by professing your love to the Trickster King." He winked at her, and lowered his head to kiss her as they hovered in the air.

She kissed him back, a little bit more... aggressive than usual. Then she broke the kiss and blushed. "I missed that," she admitted. "But. I did just profess my love to you and I think I did it quite embarrassingly, so you get nothing right now."

Puck was downright grinning from the more aggressive nature of the kiss. "Keep giving me kisses like that and I might let you off the hook," he teased. Then he started towards the Grimm home, flying swiftly to get her out of the rain and somewhere where her bleeding could be taken care of.

Sabrina blushed and hid her face in his shoulder. "Just don't make me do it in front of my parents. I can't handle that right now."

"We'll see," Puck said, smirking at the idea of embarrassing her.

"I will end you," she muttered in agitation. Still, she was so relaxed and happy that she didn't mind just snuggling in his arms and waiting to get home.

***.*.*.*.***

Her parents were at Relda's house by the time they got there. Veronica was talking with the older woman and holding her hands while they discussed everything Henry and Veronica had missed. Any time Henry needed to communicate with Veronica or vice versa, Jake had to be the one to do it. Veronica was seriously still not even talking to Henry. She loved him, but she still wanted to strangle him.

They had just finished with the explanation of the Goblin's Mirror, Puck saving Sabrina from it, and then Klarissa's curse, which was now gone, when Puck and Sabrina arrived.

The door swung open, attracting the attention of everyone in the house, and Puck strode into the room with Sabrina in his arms.

"Look what I found," Puck announced, grinning. "No need to thank me - but you can go ahead and do it anyway."

"Sabrina!" Daphne jumped to her feet from where she'd been sitting on the floor petting Elvis, her eyes lighting up at the sight of her sister.

Relief flooded through Relda, and Mr. Canis smiled when he saw, clearly, that Sabrina was all right. And, if he wasn't' mistaken, no longer under the effects of the curse.

Henry sat, his body tense, watching as Puck carried Sabrina into the house. He was immensely relieved that Sabrina was all right - but how was she going to react to what he'd done? He'd almost ruined everything. And there was still the issue of Sabrina supposedly being in love with an Everafter.

Sabrina looked over at everyone and swallowed. She managed a grin. "Everything hurts," she explained. "I think I walked into a few trees. Can I have a towel?"

Veronica gave a small cry of happiness and hurried over to take Sabrina from Puck. They embraced happily.

Relda hurried to her feet and disappeared into the bathroom, returning with a large, fluffy towel that she promptly wrapped around her granddaughter. "_Liebling,_ thank goodness," she said. "We were so worried about you. Jacob, please, go get the first aid kit."

Daphne bounced in place, looking at her sister eagerly as Sabrina hugged Veronica. Henry rose to his feet, his eyes on his daughter. He glanced at Puck, and found the blonde fairy was glaring at him.

Jake was already grabbing the first aid kit to help clean Sabrina's wounds. He had to wait, because Veronica knelt down so she could hug Daphne too, but he intended to make sure she wasn't badly hurt.

Sabrina hugged Daphne extra-tight. "Thanks Daphne," she said quietly.

Daphne returned the hug with as much strength as she could manage. "I'm so glad you're okay," she whispered. "But I knew Puck would find you."

Sabrina made sure she had stopped blushing by the time she pulled back. Then she looked at her mother and said the first thing that came to mind. "Mom... I don't want to leave Ferryport Landing."

Jake still found himself shocked to hear those words. Sabrina had always wanted to leave, she had wanted her normal life back more than anything... Even knowing how the girl felt about Puck, he hadn't expected her to stay in a place she supposedly hated to be around him now that the curse was broken.

Daphne looked at her sister with pure delight, and Relda and Mr. Canis both smiled at her. Puck's expression didn't change - he'd been expecting her to say it, so he just kept grinning.

"But Sabrina..." Henry's voice trailed off, and he glanced at Veronica.

Veronica shot Henry a look. Then she turned to her daughter. "Really, Sabrina?"

Sabrina nodded, looking embarrassed. "...I don't... Like most Everafters," she said quietly, ducking her head. "I don't trust most of them."

She dug her foot into the ground. "But I don't want to leave. I want to help them, mom. Just like you. And I want to stay with Puck. If I left he'd get all smelly and be a jerk again. And then Granny would have to put up with him, and I just can't unleash that on the people here. No one deserves to deal with smelly Puck..."

Puck snorted indignantly, but he didn't interrupt or get on her case. After all, if it made her stay, he'd just prank her for it later or get over it.

Relda's expression was soft as she listened to Sabrina. She knew she couldn't expect Sabrina to get over her distrust of Everafters all at once... but this was enough now.

Henry stared at Veronica and Sabrina. And he stared further when Daphne spoke up. "I like it here, too, Mom," Daphne said. "I don't want to go."

"Your father and I have to talk," Veronica said gently. "But we won't be making any hasty decisions."

Henry sighed, but nodded. He wouldn't drag them back out of Ferryport Landing. He didn't know how he was going to handle everything, but he didn't want to alienate his entire family, either. And at least Veronica was going to talk to him later.

"Thanks mom," Sabrina said softly. She let Jake set her on the couch and start treating the cuts and bruises.

"Ow. Ow. Ow ow ow. Ow," Sabrina squirmed a bit from the different cleaning ointments. "But yay I can feel it."

"I thought that stuff was supposed to help with pain, not make it worse," Puck said skeptically as he watched Jake treat Sabrina's cuts and bruises. He was hovering now, sticking close and watching Sabrina. Daphne covered her mouth to hide her smile and glanced at Veronica.

Veronica grinned at Daphne, amused by Puck's attitude as well.

"It hurts first," Sabrina explained. "Cleans it out and stuff. I've had worse though, this is nothing."

"Well, I don't like it," Puck decided. "Healing stuff shouldn't make you hurt first." But he didn't stop Jake or anything, he just kept a closer eye on Sabrina.

Relda shook her head in amusement. "Are you hungry, _liebling?_" she asked Sabrina, figuring that she hadn't eaten much since losing her sense of smell.

"Yeah," Sabrina said. She'd trusted Puck to tell her what she was eating before, and it had felt right, but now she was wary.

"We have regular food," Jake promised. "Still. How about hot dogs?"

"Perfect," Sabrina said in relief. She winced again, but then he was bandaging her upper thigh with a small adhesive bandage. Her jeans had ripped.

Puck glanced down at Sabrina's leg as Jake bandaged it. The rip in the jeans was showing a bit of skin... _ahem_. He ignored the look Henry was giving him.

"Do you want me to get you some clean clothes, Sabrina?" Daphne asked, noticing that Sabrina's clothes were dirty and torn up.

"I'll go change in a sec," Sabrina said. "I'm soaking wet and muddy. I might take a shower...." She trailed off and blushed, glancing to the string on her wrist still.

Jake tried not to snicker.

Puck coughed a little, his wings fluttering, looking everywhere _but_ the string on his own wrist. After all, every shower she'd taken in the last couple of days had been with him attached to her by a string and standing on the other side of the bathroom door.

Sabrina cleared her throat, then got up and headed upstairs all on her own. She loved having her senses back.

She didn't look at her father though. She remembered how scared she'd been, and she just wasn't ready to face him.

Henry couldn't quite look at Sabrina, either. Or anyone else for that matter. Aside from that momentary outburst when Sabrina had said she wanted to stay, he'd been more or less silent.

He wasn't sure how to handle this - except that it was apparent that he was staying in Ferryport Landing for the time being. He was capable of leaving on his own - but the thought of leaving behind his wife and daughters did not even enter his mind.

"Now," Relda said, "Jacob, why don't you get started on dinner, while we wait for Sabrina and finish catching up?" She looked at Veronica and smiled. There would be time enough for a serious talk later.

Jake nodded and smiled to her. "Sure thing."

A while later, Sabrina came down in a pair of soft pink sweatpants and a dark blue t-shirt. Her hair was damp, and she'd brushed her hair back into a braid.

She automatically went to Puck and took his hand without thinking about it.

Just as automatically, Puck intertwined his fingers with Sabrina's and held her hand securely, taking a moment to brush his thumb over her knuckles. Since the two of them had practically been joined at the hip - or hand - since she'd lost her sight, holding Sabrina's hand was second nature to Puck now. It no longer felt awkward or too affectionate to be done around other people.

That, and Henry twitched ever-so-slightly, which just made Puck grin.

"Sabrina, can I brush your hair after it dries?" Daphne asked.

"Sure," Sabrina said with a grin. "Let's go eat now."

She went with Puck into the dining room, and forgot that she didn't need to hold his hand still. She ate with her other hand (yay finger food!) while Veronica and Jake chatted about random things, and how the locals were doing.

Daphne could barely suppress her giggles at Sabrina and Puck - if either of them noticed that before the curse they did not spend every moment holding hands, including during meals, neither of them were indicating it. And Daphne wanted to see just how long they'd keep it up.

It was halfway through dinner when Henry finally couldn't hold in the question anymore. The feeling of the doghouse took a back seat to the feeling of being a parent. "So...how long have you known Sabrina, Puck?"

Puck paused in mid-bite. "Since she moved here," he said with a shrug. The length of time didn't really matter to him.

Sabrina blushed. "Um.. A year almost?" She glanced at him a little awkwardly, then back to her father. "I'll be twelve soon, but I was already eleven when Granny took us in."

From the look on Henry's face he was clearly still have trouble reconciling the fact that he had missed more than two years of his children's' lives. "So you live nearby, then?" he asked.

Daphne pressed her lips together, her eyes widening slightly when she realized that no one apparently, had clued her father in on how many people actually lived in the house.

From the gleam in Puck's eye, he was realizing this, too. "Yeah," he said. "Real nearby."

Sabrina's entire face turned red. But she came clean immediately, not wanting to have it come back later and bite her in the butt. "Um. Actually he lives here."

Veronica covered her mouth with a smile, glancing to Relda. As the girls' mother, she was more indulgent to things like romance, whereas Henry was more likely to storm the place with a pitchfork at the idea of his babies growing up.

"He's been living here and going to school with them as a Bodyguard," Jake joked.

The expression on Henry's face was priceless. "He lives here?" he repeated. He was just getting used to the idea that his girls were going to be in the fairytale business whether he liked it or not. He was getting used to the idea that Sabrina had a childhood romance going on with an Everafter. But already living together…?

He did not know how to handle the news that unexpectedly nearly-twelve daughter had a boyfriend (one with wings) who lived under the same roof as she did.

Relda smiled. "Yes, he does," she said. "Puck's a member of our family."

Sabrina ducked her head and didn't say anything else. Jake however, couldn't resist.

"You should hear their new agreement on his excessive prank pulling," Jake said cheerfully. He wanted to give Henry trouble. He still hadn't forgiven him for acting like a jerk.

Mr. Canis gave Jake a look that silently asked if he was trying to get himself in trouble.

Puck grinned, watching as Henry frowned. "Prank pulling?" Henry asked. "Agreement?"

"Yep," Jake said. "Puck pulls a lot of pranks, but now he and Sabrina have an agreement so that he won't do it."

"It's nothing really," Sabrina said quickly, glaring at Jake.

"Actually I think it's rather ingenious," Puck asked proudly. He still had the written out confession that she'd given him a couple of days earlier. Well, he had them all, but that one was in his pocket currently.

"What is it...?" Henry asked, looking a little cautious, as though unsure if he really wanted to know.

"Puck don't," Sabrina threatened, glaring at him. "It's not important."

Veronica didn't prod them, but she figured she'd hear anyway. She smiled at Sabrina.

Puck looked at Sabrina impishly. "And what do I get in exchange for not saying it?" he teased, leaning towards her. His green eyes sparkled with enjoyment.

She glowered at him. "I won't punch you."

"Mmm...nope," Puck said with a shake of his head. "Gonna have to come up with something better than that."

"That wasn't an offer, it was a warning," Sabrina said, still glaring.

"I've handled your punches before," Puck said nonchalantly, leaning back in his chair, still holding her hand.

She let go of his hand, crossing her arms over his chest. "I mean it, Puck."

"It can't be that bad," Veronica said sweetly.

"Oh, it's really not," Puck said with a grin. With Veronica's interest now, there was no way he couldn't not say. "See, in exchange for no pranks, she just has to declare her love for the Trickster King each day. ^^ With my final approval, of course."

Henry nearly choked on his hot dog. _Declare her love?_

Sabrina punched Puck right in the face, then stormed from the table with a scowl. She was now pissed off.

Veronica's eyes widened when she actually did punch Puck. "Oh my."

Puck had ended up on the floor, stunned, with his eyes wide and his face in pain. His entire face, not just part of it. There might even have been some numbness settling in.

"Oh, dear," Relda said, her eyes wide as well as she took in what had just occurred. Even Henry appeared stunned that Sabrina had actually followed through and punched Puck.

Mr. Canis just shook his head - he'd seen it coming the moment she'd threatened it.

"Sabrina!" Daphne darted out of her chair and after her sister, hurrying to follow.

"....ow," Puck finally managed. That actually hurt harder than the last time she'd hit him.

"She did warn you," Jake said, sighing. "Kids never learn. And yeah, she's a bit violent," he told Veronica and Henry. "She's a tough kid."

Puck slowly got to his feet, rubbing his jaw and trying to determine if it was going to work right or not. And if it was going to bruise. He really didn't want it to bruise.

"She took full responsibility for her sister when they were in the foster homes," Relda said, looking at Henry and Veronica. "She's actually quite capable."

"I can see that," Henry said, still a bit stunned.

"What kind of foster homes were they in?" Veronica asked softly. "Will you elaborate since they're not in here?"

"Sure," Jake said. "But it's pretty rough."

Henry frowned. "Rough?" he asked.

Relda and Mr. Canis both turned their attention to Jake. They'd heard bits and pieces from the girls about the foster homes, but nothing concrete. Jake, however, made it sound like there was more.

Even Puck didn't say anything, still rubbing his jaw. Sabrina had told him about the blindfolding incident before - and there'd been an indication that the foster home situation had been rougher than she sometimes let on.

"Seems their caseworker was somewhat of a sadist. The girls hate her and the feeling's mutual. So she stuck them with the most depraved people she could find, ranging from ferret farming lunatics to serial killers on parole. I'm not making that up, by the way," Jake said when Veronica's mouth fell open.

"From Sabrina's testimonies alone, I heard they were starved, made to do slave-manual labor, used as drug mules, physically and emotionally abused, tied to a radiator, chained in the basement for days with no food or light, tossed over the side of a boat in the Hudson, nearly killed by a serial killer on parole, neglected or tossed around by a bunch of other random not-so-bad negligent money grubbers..." Jake took a breath.

"In every single case, Sabrina and Daphne ran away or escaped from the foster family at some point. Sabrina grew up fast so Daphne wouldn't have to… And this is just the stuff Sabrina actually shared. I'm sure there was more."

"And nobody _stopped_ this social worker from placing the girls in these homes?" Henry asked, just as much stunned at that fact as he was at everything else that Jake was telling him.

Mr. Canis let out a low growl. He'd suspected that it was bad - he hadn't realized some of these details. Puck looked stunned, any worry for the pain in his face dissipating as he stared at Jake. Then he scowled and looked away in his 'too cool to care' persona.

"Nope," Jake said. "They're still trying to take the kids from mom. The serial killer was recently when we had to take Puck to New York to heal his wings."

"Well, they're going to be hard pressed to take them now," Henry said with a definite edge in his voice. "They have no grounds."

"I should have found the girls sooner," Relda said fervently.

"No wonder Sabrina is so grown up and so headstrong. She was looking out for Daphne all alone," Veronica said softly. "My poor girls..." She clenched her fists. "If I see the social worker, I'm feeding her my fist. And my stilettos."

"Can I help?" Puck asked suddenly, looking at her. "Not with the stilettos part. They look all wrong on me. But I'm sure I could come up with something equally appropriate."

"As long as it's something that can be covered up with forgetful dust," Veronica said. "I can't believe they went through all that..."

"Poor_ Lieblings,_" Relda said softly. "I knew they'd been through a lot, but I never imagined..."

"I ought to take that social worker to court," Henry said angrily. "How could someone in charge of a child's wellbeing do such a thing?"

"She's a real piece of work," Jake confirmed.

"She's going down," Veronica said with an angry scowl.

"Who's going what?" Sabrina came back into the room, looking less irritated. Her hair was down and freshly brushed by Daphne.

"No one, _liebling,_" Relda said, smiling at her as Daphne came into the room behind Sabrina, looking pleased with her handiwork on Sabrina's hair. "Are you and Daphne interested in dessert?"

Elvis scrambled to his feet at the mention of the word dessert. His tail smacked against anything it came into contact from how enthusiastically he was wagging it.

"Sure!" Sabrina said. After all, dessert at lunch? Why not?

She went to Henry, her expression hesitant. Despite everything, it was still her father, and she really had missed him. She'd gotten to hug her mother earlier, but their reunion hadn't been ideal.

She paused, then hugged him tightly. "I really did miss you, dad."

Henry's expression softened, and he wrapped his arms around Sabrina, hugging her just as tightly. "So did I, sweetheart," he murmured. It was going to take some getting used to, the fact that his daughters had started to grow up.

Jake smiled at them, then stretched. "I think I'm going to head out for a bit. I'll be back later."

"Where are you going, Uncle Jake?" Daphne asked, looking at him with unending curiosity.

"Probably to get some coffee," Jake said thoughtfully.

Sabrina hugged Henry tight, then moved to Veronica and did the same. Veronica held her very tight. She glanced at Jake with a raised eyebrow. He seemed to be going to get coffee a lot more often. Then again, Jake was a huge flirt with a weak spot for pretty girls, and Sabrina remembered a really pretty girl named Briar Rose had a coffee shop.

"Oh, okay. ^^" Daphne smiled. "We'll save you some dessert." Relda had already gotten up to go into the kitchen and get some snacks - normally she didn't do dessert after lunch, but this was an unusual day that called for some treats.

Puck watched Sabrina with her parents, no longer as annoyed as he had been. Eh, what was one punch to the face when she was so clearly happy to have her parents back? He'd deal. And...maybe take her warnings a little more seriously in the future. Because _ow_.

Sabrina sat between her parents, pointedly ignoring Puck. She told her mother about some of her newest achievements and some of the growing up she'd missed, patiently letting Daphne interrupt to add her own stories.

Puck scowled after a bit when he realized that she was pointedly ignoring him. _And _by their own agreement, he couldn't prank to get her attention on him. She'd already given her declaration for the day.

Henry put his hand on Sabrina's shoulder, and then looked at her and Daphne. "I'm very proud of the two of you," he said seriously.

Sabrina blushed. "Really?" she asked, delighted to hear that. "I've done the best job I could," she said. "I really looked after Daphne."

"She did!" Daphne said with a nod and agreement.

Henry smiled, and then kissed the top of Sabrina's head. "You did a good job," he said, looking at Veronica, knowing that she agreed. After what they had heard, it had become apparent that Sabrina really had done the best that she could.

Veronica put a hand on Sabrina's head. "Do you want to tell us more?"

"Later," Sabrina said, looking down a bit shyly.

Henry nodded. "Later," he agreed. "The four of us have some catching up to do." Daphne looked at him and beamed.

Relda came back out from the kitchen, carrying a plate of cookies. "All right, here we are," she said, setting them down on the table. "Help yourselves, there's plenty of them."

Daphne's mouth watered at the sight of the cookies, and she promptly helped herself to three. She hoped things would stay happy for a really long time, and that her father would come around about staying in Ferryport Landing.

***.*.*.*.***

**A/N:**

**Sky:** Shocker! No cliffy ^^ I decided since last chapter was so mean (and _someone _said I was cruel) that this chapter would end in a nice safe spot :3 we're still not done. Not by a long shot. So I hope people still want to read more ^^

**Ayns:** ::starry eyes:: I love them…

**Sky: **Me too ^^ I will never get tired of Sabrina and Puck.

Updates'll take a bit longer now, we have a lot of new scenes to write. And I'll also be working on Musings of a King in the downtime. R/R, Thankies and luvvies! ^^


	9. Anger and Betrayal

**EDIT: Sky: Re-Added scene skips.**

**A/N:**

**Sky:** Well, the rush of reviews and the extra nominations on the best fic in the category made us haul butt to get this posted. (P.S.! Shameless plug, the voting started :D Go vote for** your favorite fic, even if it's not us, it's all good fun!**)

Ayns would have stuff to add, but I was pressuring her to help me edit and I kept her up 40 mins past when she wanted to sleep. So uh… She passed out. ^^; She's been helping a lot to cheer me up lately. My family is still struggling with things right now, but the wonderful people here and my two bestest friends Ayns and Ascaisil have cheered me up a LOT. I freaking love you guys, you're awesome. So, I hope you like this chapter. **Sadly it's more of a filler prelude to the darker plots coming in. Like, everything else was Part I, this is entering Part II. In case anyone might miss it, we've done a whole year-ish skip.  
**  
(As in, Sabrina was about to turn 12 last chapter. This is a year after she turns 12)

Special special super ultra warm happy thanks to all of the support for this story. Thank you so much to : **Loodia LoveStar, Alice Starr, Trickster Queen464, Twilight0, Zeorzia, msjezzi-bella, Lara D, BoOkLuvEr303, RainbowofSmiles16, Ascaisil, ZOMBIEfiedCrayons, girl talk, Makesmithdiefan, Cindy, Tanglenighht, DeDe, grimmgirl, pucky-ucky-wucky-bucky, dog9girl, **and **Viva-Musica**

One last thing I'd like to address is the concern over the amount of intimacy Puck and Sabrina seemed to have when she was 11. I always thought she was very mature for her age, and well… I think it depends on the person. **I'd like to point out that we didn't take it too far (in our opinions) for the amount of romance we put in. **All of that stuff was intended to be mild until they were older.

Also **IF YOU CANNOT HANDLE DARKER PLOTLINES, TURN BACK NOW. **It's about to get a lot more serious, and this is just the beginning to the newer plot. There will be even more drama and action.

***.*.*.*.***

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter Nine: Anger and Betrayal_**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

"C'mon, we're gonna be late," Sabrina reached out and tugged Daphne from the table, before letting go and rushing for the door in a hurry. She was not in a very good mood that morning.

Thirteen now, and getting makeup help from her mother, Sabrina was looking cuter than ever. Her body was much healthier from the repeated use of normal food in their home, and she was starting to grow into a healthy young girl. It had been a little over a year since the curse had finally been broken on Sabrina, and life was very different for the Grimms.

For starters, Veronica had convinced Henry that staying in Ferryport Landing was the best option for the girls. It had taken a lot of talking and coaxing, but in the end, Henry had agreed. They'd put an addition onto the house, since the move was only temporary. They still maintained an apartment in New York, but for the most part they remained in Ferryport Landing. Sabrina and Daphne still shared a room.

Sabrina still had her trust issues with the Everafter community. Since the Scarlet Hand hadn't made a move in over a year, she still suspected danger from many of them. They worked on countless mysteries, while Veronica and Henry made trips to New York to help the residents of Faerie.

They also took Ms. Smirt to court, and the girls had gone for the weekend to testify. Veronica's lawyer had crushed the old woman in front of the Jury, winning them some money and landing Ms. Smirt in a correctional facility. Veronica had taken the girls on a shopping trip to make up for birthdays they'd missed, while Henry had revised their will. In case anything like that ever happened again, the girls would go to Relda, and if Relda wasn't available, they would go to Jake. They had to reluctantly agree that if neither Relda nor Jake was available, Mr. Canis could take the girls in…

But Mr. Canis had been keeping to himself so much that sometimes it was like he didn't exist. His struggles with the wolf were getting worse, but he'd held on. There had been times when Sabrina had tried to get Daphne to fork over the key Hamstead had given her, but Daphne had adamantly refused.

At nine, Daphne was now in the fourth grade. The population of Ferryport was still small enough that one school covered elementary through ninth grade, and the neighboring school was covered tenth through twelfth. Kerdy was going to the high school, but still walked with them since the schools practically shared a fence.

Sabrina enjoyed being an eighth grader. She was close to the top of the school food chain. Meanwhile Kerdy was a sophomore in high school, and he told her all kinds of horror stories about hazing and seniors. He didn't fool her on a lot of them, but Daphne was the more gullible of the two Grimm girls. And despite one horrifying incident where Puck had gone rooting through Sabrina's personal items, incorrectly identifying the pads her mother had bought her as 'airplane stickers', Sabrina was enjoying growing up. She felt happy and more confident at thirteen than she did at eleven, or even twelve. Maybe it was due to the fact that she was a teenager, but it was a rare time where she felt like she didn't need magic to feel strong and fearless.

She and Puck had been dating on and off since the Goblin's Mirror. They mostly held hands and kissed, in agreement that doing anything else was a little out of their league. While Puck would still get a little curious and pinch or poke Sabrina, she'd smack his hand or punch him if he got to be too rowdy. For the main part, they got along well as a team without being mushy, but every once in a while they got on each other's nerves and had a loud fight that ended with someone getting huffy and usually Sabrina getting pranked.

They were at an iffy and awkward stage currently--he didn't like her wearing makeup to school, and she was refusing to give her love confessions the way he wanted, so the pranks were back and pissing her off.

That morning, he'd gotten her with tar and feathers. It had taken so long to clean up that they were really getting late now, and there were a few feathers still in her backpack. She wasn't talking to him.

She opened the door, glancing behind her to make sure Daphne had followed.

"I'm coming," Daphne said, shoving the remainder of her breakfast into her mouth as she followed after her sister. She wisely did not ask if Puck was walking with them to school - she'd seen the results of the tar and feathers and she did not want to be in Puck's shoes at that point.

Daphne hesitated, then reached out and snagged a spare feather from Sabrina's bag, dropping it to the ground. "How late are we already?" she asked, unable to locate a clock before they went to leave.

"If we don't run, we'll be like ten minutes late," Sabrina said, irritated. "I'm running, my teacher's a jerk and he makes fun of me when I'm late."

"Ugh," Daphne said, giving a shudder. "Okay, let's run. I can keep up." she was better had matching pace with her sister, even though Sabrina had the longer legs.

"Hurry it up, you two," Puck said, suddenly hurrying past them an out of the house. He was still snickering from the earlier prank.

Sabrina scowled. She took off running towards the school with Daphne. By the time they got there, despite their best efforts, they were late by a few minutes. Though Daphne no longer had Mrs. Charming as her teacher (she could still only think of the lovely woman as Snow White, despite having attended the very expensive and beautiful wedding that Sabrina had skipped) she still had one of the nicer and more lenient elementary school teachers in the area.

Sabrina hurried to the class she had with Puck, groaning when the teacher stopped her in the doorway. Puck came up behind them. Even when he and Sabrina were iffy he still kept an eye on her. Besides, he'd been laughing too hard over the prank that morning to make it on time himself.

The teacher ignored Puck, but he pulled Sabrina to his desk and wrote out a detention slip.

She scowled. "Puck was late too."

"He's passing my class."

Sabrina froze. Puck, passing a class? And her _not_ passing a class? What? She stared at the teacher, Mr. Walker, as if he'd grown an extra head. And that head had sprouted free and begun to tap dance. Naked.

Puck made his way to his seat, but he did raise an eyebrow. He pretty much did the minimum work in order to keep up with the class and not have to deal with threats of repeating a grade.

"Maybe it's harder for you to understand the work, Grimm," Mr. Walker said, handing her the detention slip. "If you paid more attention to your studies and less attention to your hair, you wouldn't be so laughable."

Cheeks burning, she glared at him and stalked to her seat, sitting down. She didn't look at Puck, worried she'd have an outburst of anger. Other students snickered at her--which was usually what he enjoyed anyway. He made the students laugh at her all the time.

Puck's eyes were on the teacher as the other students snickered - he had a territorial issue when it came to making people laugh at Sabrina. He liked to do it. He wasn't too fond of other people doing it, including the teacher.

But, since she had yet to give her love confession for the day, and he was still smug from the success of the feathers, he didn't do anything to stick up for her. And more to the point, he still thought she shouldn't pay as much attention to her looks when other people could clearly see her. She didn't have to look cute for anyone but him, darn it.

Sabrina's foul mood only got worse. She refused to talk to Puck at all, or even acknowledge him. In fact, she refused to even be angry or mean to him; she just ignored him all together. The more Sabrina ignored him, the sourer Pucks' moods became. He didn't like being ignored, and nobody could push it buttons the way that Sabrina Grimm could. Maybe he needed to remind her that he was a King.

But he stayed clear of her - he didn't show up for lunch, opting to go somewhere else t eat, even if it meant he couldn't attempt to swipe her food like he did on the days they weren't arguing.

When Sabrina got out of detention, she went to her normal waiting spot for Puck. She assumed he'd be there to walk her home like he always did, even when they fought.

As it turned out - Puck wasn't there. He'd gotten so irritated with that fact that she was ignoring him that this time instead of waiting for her, he'd headed home while she was at detention. And since the detention had delayed her after school, Daphne was also already at her after-school self-defense class, leaving Sabrina by herself.

When Sabrina realized Puck had ditched her, she got angry fast. He was the one who had started it, and now this? She started walking, heading away from their meeting point aimlessly. Sometimes she felt like she was the only one growing up. Even though Puck was getting taller and his voice was getting deeper, his maturity was still frozen in time. He'd had so many moments of tenderness back when Sabrina had been in danger that she sometimes forgot why they'd fought all the time prior to the Goblin's Mirror.

"Stupid Puck," Sabrina muttered to herself, cheeks flushed. She hated when they were fighting, he transformed into such a jerk!

She kicked a rock angrily. She shouldn't have been dwelling on it, but she really missed how sweet he'd been when she'd been under Klarissa's curse. At least then he'd seemed to care about how she felt. She knew he couldn't be like that all the time, but would it kill him to act like a real boyfriend from time to time? She didn't even realize how far into the woods she'd wandered until she looked up and realized she wasn't sure where she was.

"So where's your bodyguard, Sabrina Grimm?"

Sabrina whirled around to see a small group including (oh joy!) Klarissa, and four freshmen boys. She hadn't had to deal with Klarissa for a year, but for some reason, Sabrina wasn't surprised. The girl had been laying low since losing her magic, but Sabrina was having such a bad day, she was ready for the master of the Scarlet Hand himself (or herself) to pop out and yell 'Surprise!'.

That didn't happen, thankfully. Sabrina looked to the boys, then at Klarissa. She was sure they had followed her into the woods where she had wandered while lost in her thoughts. They all looked hostile, and Sabrina almost hoped they were. She wanted to vent her anger.

"What do you want?" Sabrina asked. Her eyes darted around, taking in the surroundings. No one was near. What if Klarissa did something magical? But no, that wasn't right… Klarissa had lost her magic. Still, it didn't look good. As angry as she was, she knew she was outnumbered and in trouble if they wanted her to be.

"Just to have a little fun. I'm not the only Everafter that hates your kind. My friends here do too." Klarissa said. She looked to the boys. "Just don't kill her, we don't need blood on our hands."

"Don't worry about a thing, baby," one of the boys said, kissing her hand.

Before Sabrina had time to blink, two of the boys had rushed forward and grabbed her arms, spreading them out painfully and holding her in place for a third to move up and punch her in the stomach.

The air shoved from her lungs painfully, making her gasp as she tried to catch her breath in disbelief, an ache forming in her upper body.

Before she recovered, he yanked her up more by her hair and backhanded her. Then he punched her, releasing her hair and snapping her head to the side. Sabrina tasted blood, her head reeling from the rush of pain and disorientation. She couldn't remember the last time anyone had hit her so hard. Even when she got into physical fights with other kids, it was never this hateful.

Klarissa was gone by this point, as the boys took turns hitting Sabrina and laughing. They told her to get out of town. That they hated Grimms. That she was pathetic. The words fueled her anger and bitterness, but neither emotion helped her get free. All it did was stop her from feeling fear when she realized they could very well kill her if they wanted to.

Despite the fact that she struggled to get her arms free, kicking out with her feet any time they got close enough, she couldn't budge them. The struggling only hurt her arms, and the kicking seemed to amuse them. Still, she didn't stop until one of the punches caught her in the ribs, smashing into her with surprising force. It immediately became harder to breathe, a ripping pain shooting through her upper body. She gasped for breath, going a bit limp in their grip and halting in her kicking attempts. Even breaking her arm hadn't hurt that badly.

The one who had kissed Klarissa's hand moved up front after that punch, then yanked her head back by a fistful of hair and sneered down at her. "Gonna beg us not to hurt you anymore, little girl?"

That did it.

With a cry of revulsion and anger, Sabrina twisted, ignoring the screaming pain in her body, and brought her knee up into his groin so hard the other boys heard a popping sound. Using the fact that they were stunned and horrified to her advantage, she twisted and bit the arm of one of the ones holding her until he let go. When she jerked free, she broke into a panicked run, dodging trees.

She could hear them behind her, and her entire body hurt, but she was running on pure adrenaline. She used every single trick she knew of to lose them, until eventually, she did.

Once she was sure they weren't following, she clutched her side and winced. Her entire body hurt like hell, and she was pretty sure she had a black eye and a bloody lip.

What Sabrina didn't know was that she also had a bruise and a bleeding scrape on the cheek beneath her black eye, a red spot with a small gash on the opposite temple, and bruises all the way down to her legs. Her makeup had been ruined, and she felt like crying.

She held it in, expression a bit blank while she walked slowly home. Numbness was setting in, and an irrational anger. Why did she have to be tormented by Everafters? She'd been trying to help them. Her mother had been rebuilding Faerie with Titania. The Grimms weren't bad, but the Everafters still hated her! And why had Puck ditched her that way? Why hadn't she been able to do anything about it?

All she could feel in the numbing haze of pain was anger and betrayal.

***.*.*.*.***

Since Jake was still at the coffee shop stalking (technically trying to date, but Sabrina called it stalking) Briar Rose, Daphne was taking her self-defense class, and both Veronica and Henry were working day jobs, not too many people were home. Just Relda, Mr. Canis, and Puck.

Puck had flown home, so no one was surprised he beat Sabrina there. She was taking a bit longer than expected though. Not to mention her detentions were more often than not nowadays.

Sabrina didn't bother knocking. She opened the door, slammed it behind her, and headed for her room with her sweater hoodie up and her hair hiding most of her face.

"Sabrina?" Relda called. It was too soon for Daphne to be back from her class, so she assumed it was Sabrina when she heard the door open and slam. "Is that you, _liebling?"_

Mr. Canis emerged suddenly from his room, frowning as he caught the scent of blood coming from downstairs. Coming from, he realized as he stepped out into the hallway, Sabrina.

In his room, Puck heard the door, and got up from where he'd been lounging. Enchanted rooms were nice - he could still hear things going on in the house, so he was aware of Sabrina coming home. Despite the fact that he was sour about her ignoring him, he _had_ noticed how long it had taken her to get back, so he headed for the door to check and see if that was really her coming home or not. Hopefully they'd enter the 'kiss and make up' stage of fighting. That part was always fun.

Sabrina didn't answer anyone, pulling her hoodie tighter. She knew she was bleeding. She was heading for the bathroom. She didn't want anyone to know she was crying, either. It took a lot to make her cry, and if they saw her tears, they'd just question her.

As Puck came out into the hallway, Mr. Canis reached out for Sabrina's arm to stop her. He could smell the blood, and since the girls didn't normally come home from school smelling of blood, it was sending off warning signals in his head. "What happened?" he asked.

Sabrina winced. "Let go of me," she mumbled, trying to pull away from him. She could barely budge her arm.

Mr. Canis frowned, but let up on his grip when he sensed her wincing, not wanting to hurt her further. That wince and the blood made it pretty clear to him that she _was_ hurt.

"What's going on?" Puck stared at Sabrina - and he didn't miss her wince, because he'd been looking right at her when she'd done it.

He hurried down the hallway, his attention riveted to her.

"None of your business," Sabrina snapped. But her voice cracked as she said it, a sure sign that she was about to cry, or already crying.

She headed for the bathroom.

Relda paused on the stairs, hearing Sabrina's voice - and her concern instantly doubled.

Puck reached out, moving after Sabrina and getting to her before she could reach the bathroom. "Sabrina?" he asked. "What's going on? What's wrong?" She never...cried. Not unless something _really_ serious had happened.

"Leave me alone Puck!" She shouted, ducking her head and clenching her fists. "Just stay away from me!"

"Not until you tell me what's going on," Puck snapped. "And _look_ at me!" Because she'd kept her head down and hidden with that hoodie, and that was alarming him, too. Everything about her body language was putting him on edge.

"Like you even care, just go away it's none of your business! Besides, you're an Everafter and I'm a Grimm, so get away from me!" Sabrina's voice cracked again, and she tried to push past him.

Puck's eyes widened, and for a moment he looked stricken. But he didn't budge to let her past. "What does _that_ have anything to do with it, and what the heck do you mean like I even care? Haven't we been over it before that I DO care, whether I like it or not?" he demanded. He reached out to cup her chin, trying to see her face.

She smacked his hand away forcefully, and then shoved him as hard as she could away from her so she could get past.

The force of her shove took him off guard and he stumbled back, catching the wall with his hand. He stared at her, shocked. Shocked by her actions, by her words...by the tone of her voice. Especially the whole part about him being an Everafter and her being a Grimm...as if that had ever mattered with them!

Sabrina ran into the bathroom and slammed the door behind her. Wincing again, she removed the hoodie, which was sticky from her blood. Her arm had a gash on it too.

A sudden feeling of sickness hit her, and she ran to the toilet, throwing up her lunch and blood. She didn't realize how serious it was.

Relda motioned for Puck and Mr. Canis to move back, walking up to the bathroom door. She had intended to knock - until she heard the sound of Sabrina being sick on the other side.

She pushed open the door, stepping into the bathroom, her eyes going to her granddaughter. They grew wide with shock as she took in Sabrina's condition. _"Liebling...!"_

Sabrina closed her eyes tight. The pain in her chest was getting worse. She didn't even try to hide from Relda, it just hurt too much now.

Relda rushed to Sabrina's side, kneeling down and putting her arms around her. She could tell instantly that Sabrina was in trouble - and that normal first aid would do no good.

"Mr. Canis, call an ambulance!" Relda said urgently. "Sabrina, sweetheart..." She drew in a sharp breath when she realized that Sabrina had been vomiting blood.

The instant that Puck heard Relda tell Mr. Canis to call an ambulance, which the old man immediately rushed to do without any questions - for he could smell the amount of blood - Puck forgot about his shock at Sabrina's actions. He rushed into the bathroom, stopping short and staring at his girlfriend in horror.

He'd known something was wrong when she'd gotten home. He hadn't expected this.

Sabrina looked up at Relda tearfully. She didn't say anything for a few moments, then sniffled. "It hurts, Granny," she whispered. "Why does this have to happen to me?"

"Shh, sweetheart," Relda said, looking at her. "You're going to be okay." She touched Sabrina's cheek gingerly, taking in the extent of what she could see of Sabrina's injuries - and not liking what she saw. "Where does it hurt the most?"

"Sabrina," Puck whispered. His cocky attitude was gone. And anger or irritation he'd felt towards her that day, vanished. That she had ignored him was no longer important. That she get help was.

Mr. Canis reappeared in the doorway to the bathroom. "The ambulance will be here in ten minutes," he said. "We need to try and staunch any bleeding that we can." He reached into the bathroom cabinet and pulled out a stack of towels.

"My chest hurts," Sabrina whispered. She coughed, covering her mouth with her hand. When she pulled it back, blood was splattered there. She looked at it bitterly, then closed her eyes as tears slid from the one that wasn't black.

She sniffled. "It hurts," she whispered again.

Puck took one of the towels from Mr. Canis and knelt down with Relda and Sabrina. He felt cold when he saw the blood on her hand.

He held the towel to her mouth, while Relda took another one and put it against some of her bleeding injuries. "Hang on, Sabrina," Puck whispered. "Ambulance'll be here soon."

"Stay away from me, Puck," Sabrina whispered tearfully. She turned away from him, coughing again.

Puck almost dropped the towel he was holding from shock. "What..."

"Puck," Relda said softly, "why don't you go out front so that you can show the paramedics where to go when they get here?" She looked at him sympathetically - she knew he was worried, but stressing Sabrina out further wasn't going to help.

That was the only reason that Puck did what Relda suggested - he didn't _want_ to leave her. He stood up slowly, backing out of the bathroom as he watched his girlfriend cough up more blood.

"Why did I have to be a Grimm?" Sabrina whispered, before Puck had gone. "I never asked for this...!" She convulsed in pain, curling up.

Puck hesitated in the doorway…and then clenched his fists. From her words, he was positive that Everafters had to be behind this - Everafters who hated Grimms.

And they'd done this because _he_ hadn't been there to stop them.

Relda stroked Sabrina's hair, tears in her eyes. "I know you didn't," she whispered to her granddaughter. "It's not your fault. It's not your fault, _liebling."_

When the paramedics got there, Puck directed them to the bathroom where they could take charge of Sabrina and get her transported to the hospital. All the while, his own anger only grew. He was going to find the ones responsible for doing this to Sabrina - and they were going to regret it.

Sabrina was still trembling and coughing when the paramedics got to her. She was crying harder, mainly from pain, but also because in her bitterness and anger on the way home, she'd come to realize that really, she was most angry at herself. They had made her helpless; they had turned her into a victim.

Sabrina Grimm was not a victim.

She didn't fight it as they took her onto a stretcher, laying her down and checking her vitals. The shifted her shirt up above her belly, showing dark bruises beginning to form.

Tears sprang up in Relda's eyes, and she covered her mouth with her hand momentarily. How could someone have done such a thing to her granddaughter? Mr. Canis placed his hand quietly on Relda's shoulder, his expression pained as Relda reached out to grasp Sabrina's hand as the paramedics worked on her.

Puck's eyes darkened from the doorway - he'd followed the paramedics, wanting to see Sabrina again even if she didn't want him there. At the sight of her injuries, rage slipped through him like never before. No amount of fighting should have allowed this to happen.

Sabrina winced in pain as one of the paramedics moved her hand over her ribs gently. Then the paramedic frowned to her partner. "Broken ribs," she said. "Most likely a punctured lung, that'd account for the blood she's coughing up. Let's get her to the hospital now, angle her so she doesn't choke."

Sabrina heard their words, but all she could think about was how unfair this all was. She felt like she was drowning, and when she turned her head to cough, bringing her hand up, there was more blood.

She felt the prick of something in her arm, but she didn't turn to look. Not only would it hurt, but if it was a needle she really didn't want to see it.

A moment later, everything felt way too light and far too fuzzy. She found herself drifting off to sleep, hand reaching out as if she expected to be holding onto something. The paramedics put her hand back at her side and carried her from the room on a stretcher, and the world went black for Sabrina Grimm.

"I'll find Henry and Veronica and tell them what's happened," Mr. Canis said to Relda, who nodded and then looked at one of the paramedics.

"Is she going to be okay?" Relda asked, as she followed the stretcher along.

Puck had stepped back just enough to let them get Sabrina through - and then he darted forward, reaching out for her hand. Hell if he was going to let her out of his sight!

The paramedics had to stop Puck from grabbing her hand, but it wasn't worth the hassle, and after telling Relda that Sabrina would be okay, they let Puck hover near them. He couldn't touch her or he'd be in their way, though.

The doctor even tolerated Puck standing near the doors while they did surgery on Sabrina, and a few hours later had Sabrina in a recovery room with multiple bandages and casts. In addition to two broken ribs, she had numerous cuts and bruises, and one of her wrists was sprained. It would take months of rest and taking it easy for her to heal.

***.*.*.*.***

She looked like a war survivor. The people who had been anxious in the waiting room were finally being allowed to see her. Family members had been contacted immediately.

Veronica, Snow, Daphne, Henry, Relda, Puck, and Mr. Canis were the ones who went in--Jake was talking to a nurse down the hall briefly.

Snow gasped when she saw Sabrina, her hand resting on Daphne's shoulder. She'd brought Daphne over to the hospital from her self-defense class, meeting the others there.

Daphne rushed over to the bed, looking at her sister tearfully as Puck took him his sentry position near the head of the bed. He hadn't let Sabrina out of his sight once.

Henry put his arm around Veronica's shoulders, squeezing as he looked at Sabrina. Mr. Canis had warned them that it was serious - but hearing the extent of her injuries and seeing them were two different things.

"Oh," Veronica gasped softly. "Who did this to her?" she whispered. She hadn't heard anything other than the fact that Sabrina was in very bad condition and was in the hospital.

Sabrina didn't move much, but her eyelids fluttered from all the talking. Then she fell back asleep, fingers curling just a little.

"She's been in no condition to say," Relda said anxiously.

"Has she woken up at all?" Daphne asked tearfully, looking up at Puck since he'd been with Sabrina the most.

Puck shook his head. "They've had her asleep because of the surgery," he said. His gaze fell to Sabrina's hand - and then he reached out, cupping it in his. Holding her hand wouldn't be in the way now. "But Everafters did this to her. On purpose."

Before anyone could respond to Puck's words, Jake came in, looking a bit pale. "Phew. Looks like no one's having a good day today," he said when he saw Sabrina. "Hank there's a teenager down the hall who had a ruptured testicle. I freaked out when I heard that."

"Jake, now is not the time," Veronica snapped, looking at him crossly.

"That's not something you hear every day," Jake protested. "I mean wow. How does that even happen? The nurse said it was some kind of blunt trauma. I'll say on the trauma part!"

"Jake," Veronica snapped again, putting her hands on her hips.

Every man in the room reflexively winced at the mere thought, and even Snow's eyes widened a touch. Relda had a similar expression to Veronica's on her face, looking at Jake sternly.

Daphne, however, had a much different reaction. "What's a testicle?" she asked, momentarily distracted by the idea that Everafters had hurt her sister without even being provoked.

And while Puck was infinitely glad that he wasn't the one who needed to explain that to Daphne, his eyes suddenly widened, and he head snapped up to focus on Jake. He hadn't been distracted from Sabrina's condition. "When did it happen?" he demanded.

Jake looked confused. "Well earlier today," he said to Puck. Then he looked to Daphne. "Ask your father," he said immediately.

"Puck, don't you start too," Veronica said, looking to Daphne warily.

"Later, sweetheart," Henry said hastily to Daphne when she turned an expectant look to her father.

"Oh, I'm starting," Puck said, his tone more fierce than they would have expected. "Because I bet that jerk's one of the ones who attacked Sabrina!"

He knew Sabrina. She would have fought dirty if she had to, and she wasn't afraid to use the force needed to do something like that.

Veronica and Jake both turned to Puck in surprise.

"What do you mean?" Veronica asked. "Why would you say that?"

"Does she have a habit of kicking guys really hard between the legs or something?" Jake asked in confusion. He knew Sabrina could be violent, but that was… Extreme. "I mean, if she got into a physical fight, I don't think that'd be her only defense, the kid didn't have a scratch according to the nurse, other than… That. And besides, Sabrina's a tough girl, but she's not that strong."

"Someone put her in this condition," Puck said fiercely, "and if she smacks me out right for the little things, I _know_ what she'd do to someone who really threatened her. I bet money that he's the one, or one of the ones, who attacked her. She was probably outnumbered and had to do it to get away." The thought made him feel even angrier.

"It _is_ possible to exert enough force to cause that amount of damage," Snow added, looking at Sabrina. "Regardless of physical strength."

Henry looked at Veronica. Puck had a point when it came to Sabrina's reactions.

Veronica looked back at Henry--police had come of course, although with Hamstead gone it was just a tad slower than usual... "I have to admit that's my first reaction to someone threatening me, if it's a guy. Knee right up into the groin. And Sabrina's not defenseless..."

She looked to Sabrina sadly. "She would have fought hard... There must have been several people attacking her for her to end up so hurt, or someone so much stronger than her..."

Sabrina shifted a bit. Her eyes fluttered open, confused and pained.

"She's definitely your daughter," Henry said softly to his wife.

Puck, who had also been on the edge of confronting the other boy, was suddenly distracted by Sabrina's eyes opening. He tightened his hand around hers, his attention on her.

"We'd better contact the police and alert them to this," Relda said, sickened at the thought of one of Sabrina's attackers being just down the hall. Mr. Canis let out a low growl and nodded - it was taking a lot of his self-control and restraint not to outright act on this. His resolve was only strengthened when he heard Daphne realize Sabrina had awoken.

"Sabrina!" Daphne cried in relief, calling attention from the others. "You're awake!"

Sabrina blinked slowly, then shifted. "Ow," she whispered. "Where am I?"

Puck loosened his hand a bit, thinking that the 'ow' might be in response to the way he'd tightened his grip on reflex.

"You're in the hospital," Daphne said anxiously. "How do you feel? Are you okay?" She bit her lip, her eyes large and wide.

Sabrina looked at Daphne, then around the room. When she saw Puck, she angled herself away from him and looked to her family, though she didn't pull her hand from his.

"How do you feel, sweetie?" Veronica asked softly.

"...Like I coulda taken 'em if they hadn't caught me off guard and outnumbered me," Sabrina whispered, tears glittering in her good eye, the one that wasn't covered by a bandage now.

Puck tensed, clenching his jaw tightly to keep from letting out a string of words that Daphne would probably need explaining - and Sabrina was in no condition to explain. He'd never seen her like this. He didn't _like_ it. But he'd been right. She _had _been ambushed and outnumbered by people who were stronger than she was. That was downright dirty. And he was supposed to be her protector still.

The ones who had hurt her would have to face the wrath of the Trickster King, he decided. If only he could have used faerie laws on them…

Henry moved to the side of the bed and reached out, brushing back Sabrina's hair gently. "You got away," Henry said seriously, "and that's what's important, Sabrina. Did you know them?"

"I knew Klarissa," Sabrina murmured. "The other four were boys. Everafters."

"Klarissa?" Veronica asked in surprise. She put her hand on Daphne's shoulder, feeling the younger girl tremble with either worry or anger. Maybe both.

Sabrina leaned her face in Henry's direction. "Everything hurts," she whispered.

Puck filed this information away for later use. He wasn't going to let this slide - but he wouldn't take care of it yet. He wasn't ready to leave Sabrina.

Henry leaned down and kissed her forehead gently. "You're going to be all right, sweetheart," he said. "We're all here for you."

"Wait a sec," Jake said in confusion, realization hitting him. "Where was Puck when all this was happening?"

Sabrina scowled. She didn't answer.

Puck tensed, and Henry looked up. He hadn't thought of that until that moment. While he wasn't thrilled with Sabrina's relationship with Puck - he at least had come to expect that Puck kept an eye on her. Everyone knew Puck was supposed to be with Sabrina, even if things weren't necessarily dangerous. Sabrina shouldn't have been alone. But listening to all the things she'd said, about being ambushed and outnumbered… It made sense that Puck hadn't been with her. The question that made all the difference was why he hadn't been with her.

"Puck?" Daphne asked softly, looking at him. She'd been at self-defense class - Puck and Sabrina _had_ been together, right? She was sure of it…

Puck looked down, unable to look any of them in the eye. "...I was at home. I didn't walk with her."

A very tense atmosphere washed over the room, and no one was sure how anyone else would react to what Puck had just told them.

***.*.*.*.***

**A/N:**

**Sky: **K so, don't hurt us, this chapter had to happen XD The next chapter will be better. (I hope! :D) But please remember it's pre-written and we have to edit it to make it more of a story. This chapter had to be torn apart and re-pieced to have it flow and make any sense. Please R/R, and sorry if you didn't enjoy this chapter ^^;

P.S. How creepy is it, Viva-Musica, that you had just messaged us about the violence thing? XD Swear to god, this was already halfway edited. You spooky mind-reader! :D


	10. Breaking the Deal

**A/N:**

**Sky: **Whooza! Okay the reviews have been downright _awesome. _It's been keeping me perky and happy in these tough times. Thanks so much you guys. It's because of the good response that I decided to heck with sleep, and started editing right away! I even had to look up punctured lungs! Awah!

Also, a **few people **mentioned that the tar/feather combo was a bad idea, and explained to me why. Lemme reiterate there, because I do have an explanation XD At the time, **I **was writing in Sabrina narrative for that part, and the phrase is usually tar and feather. So when she was covered in black gunk and then feathers, her narrative indicated it was tar, but it actually wasn't. **Ayns decided **it was just some random concoction Puck made up (as he does this a lot) but we didn't catch it before I posted it. So in **Sabrina's **mind, it was tar. But… for obvious reasons, it wasn't XD Thank you **Tanglenight **(my detail guru) and **Ascaisil. ^^**

**To answer Ascaisil: magical cleaning products. **They had a magic um… Sponge. And it absorbed the 'tar'. That's why it didn't take 8,000 hours. ^^

**Ayns: **Sky assures me that posting this close together won't permit us to run out of material any time soon – which is good, good, very good. We'd hate to run out of material and leave you all hanging. Heck, we'd hate to run out of material and leave _us_ hanging, because sometimes I swear these characters are taking on minds of their own.

And it wasn't entirely Sky's fault about the whole 'tar and feather' situation – I read through it before posting and the entire thing pretty much blurred past me. So even though she wrote it, I'm just as guilty because I didn't catch it when I read it. Kudos to those of you who did!

**Sky: **Special thanks to all the people who reviewed since we posted chapter nine :D Hope we didn't scar you emotionally! We had a whopping 29 reviews total, 26 of which were for chapter 9. Kee! New record for NMW! So AWESOME THANKS (and I know some of these anonymous reviews aren't your names… But I have nothing else to call you) TO: **Dramaqueenruling, RainbowofSmiles16, Trickster Queen464, grimmgirl, Kelly, Ascaisil, Tanglenight, msjezzi-bella, Twilight0, Hippiegirl321995, Lara D, Loodia LoveStar, ZOMBIEfiedCrayons, dog9girl, Insert Lame Name Here, bluejeans12, no one, PLEASE MAKE SAB LOVE PUCK AGAI **(^^ um… yeah sorry I have no other name to thank you by…) **BoOkLuvEr303, minus your plus, Viva-Musica, sophie, curlscat, Schadenfreude62, KatieTwilight589** and **Amelia.**

Also some of you have been asking me where to vote for your favorite story—I think it's on 4everlostinthought's profile page. ^^ Have fun!

***.*.*.*.***

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter Ten: Breaking the Deal_**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

"You… What?"

Henry's voice was deadly calm, yet still riddled with disbelief. He wasn't the only one staring at Puck. Just about everyone in the room had turned their focus to the fairy. Only one person still focused on Sabrina, and that was her mother.

Sabrina had closed her eyes, a look of complete sadness and bitterness on her face. A lot of her rage had slipped away, but it was clear she needed to talk to Puck alone to sort out what had happened. No one could read Sabrina better than Veronica Grimm could, and she could tell her daughter had been troubled for quite some time before the attack.

Veronica looked back to the others before it could get violent. "Well, Sabrina needs some rest. Let's go and tell the police what we know, and Daphne, we'll get you some ice cream."

She picked the little girl up and turned to Snow. "Thank you so much for bringing her."

Daphne wrapped her arms around Veronica's neck, going quiet. Puck had been home - he _hadn't_ been with Sabrina? But even when they were fighting he'd always been around...

Snow looked at Veronica and nodded. "If there's anything that I can do to help," she said softly, "please, just let me know."

Jake looked to Puck, then back to the others. "Yeah, let's let Sabrina rest."

"Are you out of your-" Jake cut Henry off by grabbing his arm and yanking him towards the door.

"You don't know a girl's heart very well," he muttered to Henry under his breath. "Just take it from me, okay? If there's one thing I know, its women. Be lucky I'm not after Veronica."

Henry scowled up at Jake, but took the words to heart. Jake _did_ end up in trouble with Veronica less than Henry did… So he looked at Puck for a moment, and then nodded slightly. "We'll be back," he said, turning to his family to go with them without complaint.

Puck didn't move, didn't look at anyone, and didn't let go of Sabrina's hand.

Once it was just Puck and Sabrina in the room, (ignoring of course, a hovering nurse who kept glancing over to make sure she was okay) she closed her eyes and refused to look at him or turn to him. The only sound was a steady beeping. It had sped up just a bit when the others had all left.

"Sabrina," Puck said, and his voice held a trembling note. "I'm sorry. This...this never should have happened. I never should have let it happen."

She squeezed his hand once and didn't answer him, though she had opened her eyes.

Puck looked at her. "When I saw you hurt...everything else just seemed like it didn't matter then. I should have been there with you." He squeezed her hand. Saying this much to her, when she could hear him, felt odd - but when she'd said to stay away from her, he'd felt a definite moment of panic.

She didn't respond in any way, completely quiet. Her hand didn't move away, but she didn't squeeze back.

When she didn't respond, Puck's heart thudded in his chest. "Sabrina," he asked softly, "do you hate me?"

For a few moments there was nothing. Then she squeezed his hand twice.

Puck's eyes widened, staring down at their hands.

It had been so long since they'd used that code, and he hadn't noticed at first that that was what she was doing.

He brushed his thumb over her knuckles gently, his heart rate slowing to normal. She didn't hate him.

"I'll never let anything like this happen again," he said quietly, a vow to her - and a vow to himself.

She squeezed his hand twice. She didn't want to need his protection. She didn't mind if he was a bodyguard in title, but she wanted to be equal. She hadn't been saying that he should have been there to protect her; she had been agreeing that he should have been there. Period.

Puck looked at her in confusion - he was pretty sure she wasn't saying no to having this not happen again.

He amended his words. "_We'll_ make sure nothing like this happens again," he said. "You and me. You're going to recover from this, Sabrina. And then after you're healed, maybe you can take some of those self-defense classes the Marshmallow takes. You're really strong, Grimm." And _that_ was definitely no lie, because he sported the bruises to prove it sometimes.

She hesitated on how to answer him, because she was still way too mad to talk to him. She squeezed once, waited, squeezed twice, waited, and then squeezed once. Yes, they would do it together and she would recover; no, she was not taking classes; yes, she was strong.

Puck raised an eyebrow slightly. She was, apparently, determined not to speak to him yet.

She was so stubborn. ^^ It was one of the things he loved about her.

"Are you mad at me?" he asked. He was pretty sure she _was_, but he wanted her answer. He counted on her to be honest with him.

She squeezed once, hard and with _the fury. _

Puck winced. "Owowowow," he said immediately, his hand throbbing. "Okay. I figured that one. So are you ever going to talk to me again?"

Her grip loosened. Then she squeezed three times for maybe.

"I can take a maybe," Puck said, pleased that it wasn't an emphatic no. He didn't think he could take two of those in a row.

Then his tone turned a bit more serious. "Do you still love me?"

She scowled again. Then she squeezed his hand once. A long squeeze.

Puck grinned, and then brought her hand up to his lips. "Of course you do," he said, cocky again. Then he paused, asking just in case. "You okay with me staying here with you?"

She squeezed his hand again, then turned to face him. She still looked kind of pissed, but with the bandage over her eye it only looked half-pissed and pretty cute.

Puck's eyes were shining when she turned to face him, and he grinned down at her. "Hey, you know what?" he said. "You're cute when you're angry." Then he leaned down and kissed her quickly.

She scowled, but the kiss softened it a bit. Then she turned away with an 'hmph'.

"Are you tired?" Puck asked. "Or hungry?" She was way too cute.

She squeezed his hand twice, and then took a deep, pained breath. It still hurt to breathe, but she'd relaxed, and the heavy weight of despair she'd felt while stumbling through the woods had completely gone.

Puck frowned when he saw how hard it was for her to breathe. Probably a good thing she didn't feel like talking right then. "Do you want me to get the doctor?" he asked.

She squeezed his hand two times again. She just wanted to talk. Sort of. More like she wanted to listen to him make it up to her.

Puck sat down on the edge of the bed, settling in to keep her company without letting go of her hand. "So," he said, "are you going to keep doing your hair and wearing makeup to school?"

She squeezed his hand once.

Puck scowled. "I like being the only one who gets to see you look cute," he grumbled. And he hated when other guys stared at her. It made him want to mess with them, and he couldn't unless they happened to have some forgetful dust on hand. "I'm a King, I shouldn't have to share that."

"Don't you like it when other people think that the girl who chose you looks cute?" she mumbled, sounding depressed. She did roll her eyes at his reminder to her that he was a king.

"Well, there's that, but..." Puck pushed his other hand through his hair. "Well, it's not like you _need_ to do your hair or put on makeup." While it was true, he never would have admitted it normally without the added effect that he knew if he didn't do some major sucking up, he'd be in trouble with her for _much_ longer.

Sabrina blushed immediately. "But I like feeling good about myself," she said. "I mean, I get jealous if you look at other girls, but when they look at you I feel better about myself 'cause you're with me. Usually." she looked away.

"Really?" Puck asked, curious - and quite pleased that Sabrina was talking to him again. And he'd never thought of it the way that she was saying.

"Yeah, I mean," she looked at him again, "if you think I look really cute, and other people think I look cute, won't they be more jealous of you because I don't care about them?" She honestly looked curious, though she couldn't stop blushing from him saying or thinking she was cute.

Puck blinked. Then, suddenly, he grinned. He liked the idea of more people being jealous of him. "You know, I never thought about it that way," he said. He thought for a moment, then nodded. "Okay. I won't get irritated about the hair and makeup anymore. But I still want you to not wear the makeup around me sometimes. Just around me."

He still liked her best when she looked natural - because that was the way she'd looked when he'd fallen in love with her. Again, something he refused to say out loud.

"Okay," She agreed. "And you should stop ditching me when we're arguing, I can't believe you ditched me today after you made me get a detention."

"No more ditching," Puck agreed, because there was no way in hell he was going to go through something like this again. "And that teacher needs a good, sharp kick."

"He does," she agreed. "So do you, though."

"Yeah, well…" Puck smirked. "You love me anyway."

Sabrina's scowl softened a bit. Then she closed her eyes. "I can't believe I got my butt kicked so badly."

"Hey, you said it yourself - you were outnumbered," Puck said. "They fought dirty. You'll show them next time." He grinned, suddenly recalling the guy who'd been brought in. "And you did some damage."

"How do you know?" Sabrina asked, looking to Puck. "Do you know them?"

Puck shook his head. "No," he said, "I will find out. But there's a guy who got brought in when you did, and I'm pretty sure you're the reason why." He smirked proudly, managing not to cringe. "Something about a ruptured testicle. Which, by the way, ow."

She made a face. "Well, that's good news I guess. He was being a jerk."

Puck squeezed her hand. "They won't get away with this," he said. He glanced at the bandages that covered her, including the ones on her chest. Even with the hospital gown, he could still see parts of them. He scowled again, just recalling that someone had put their hands on HIS Sabrina. And he was fully ready to let them know how big a mistake that was.

Sabrina bit her lip, then winced and stopped. Her lip was split and she almost made it bleed. "They did it because I'm a Grimm," she said softly.

"You can't help that you were born a Grimm," Puck said. "They had no right."

"I know," Sabrina mumbled. "It still sucks that they did it."

She closed her eyes as the drugs took effect again. "I don't like being forced to sleep," she whispered. "Don't go..."

Her grip loosened as she passed out completely.

Puck squeezed her hand, holding onto hers even though her grip had loosened.

"Not goin' anywhere," he murmured, watching her as he sat on her bed. And if anyone tried to tell him to move - well, he just wasn't going to.

Sabrina's posture was much more relaxed than before. All of the betrayal, the anger that she'd felt had melted away. She was still pretty upset, but she knew from experience that no relationship was perfect. They all had their ups and downs. She'd just have to fight through it like a big girl.

She had remembered something important while Puck had stayed by her side in the hospital.

Sabrina Grimm didn't run and hide. She wouldn't let weak moments affect her so badly. She would feel angry again in the future. Betrayed, too. But she faced things head-on; she'd face the troubles in the relationship the same way.

***.*.*.*.***

It had only been a month since her recovery, a full three months after she'd landed herself in the hospital. There had been complications with setting her ribs correctly, and she had been put to strict bed rest until they were sure her lung wouldn't be damaged further. At first, she'd complained about having doctors watch her closely, like she wouldn't be able to take care of it, until one of them had described in great detail, the risks of her developing a tension pneumothorax. After that little explanation, she'd shut up about always having people hovering over her to make sure she healed correctly. Even though Puck had voiced that the ways to take care of such a condition were cool, (most of which involving needles or tubes being shoved into Sabrina) he was clearly only saying it to hide his worry. He didn't seem to trust regular medicine much, given that everything looked or seemed painful. Sabrina's 'it hurts now but helps later' theory was wearing thin on him.

Luckily, she hadn't put up a fight, healing easily with no complications. And she had kept her grades up through home studies, which had taken two months of doing schoolwork in her hospital bed. She'd also had an extra month in her recovery period where no one let her leave the house, and most times, the bed. Since she'd had nothing better to do, she'd improved her grades drastically, and would still go on to the next grade with Puck after their summer break. By the time she was released, they were nearing the end of April, and only had one month left of classes.

Her family had been handling the Fairytale mysteries without her, and she had it on good authority from Daphne that every boy (and Klarissa) who had hurt her showed up to school with fresh pixie stings every day she was in the hospital. Not to mention somehow their clothes were always too small, they had lost control of their bowels at the strangest times in school, and someone had shaved Klarissa's head.

Sabrina had wondered how Puck had found out who all of the people who had done it were; she'd only been able to identify the boy she'd injured, and Klarissa. Then she'd changed her mind when she'd found out what he'd done, deciding not to ask, and feeling grateful _she _had never been on the receiving end of those pranks. She'd made him promise to stop doing gross things and let it go since she had recovered, and he'd told her he'd consider it.

There had been no move from the Scarlet Hand in quite some time, something that had Sabrina uneasy whenever she wasn't being distracted by Puck or her regular activities. It still made no sense to her how the Scarlet Hand could be so active so suddenly, and then vanish all together. The thought that they were just waiting to strike when the Grimms least expected it sometimes kept Sabrina up at night.

She'd even confided her worry to Mirror, but he'd reassured her that the Grimms would be ready for anything the Scarlet Hand tried to do. So for the most part, Sabrina was able to relax and focus on the things happening in the present.

Now she stood, clothed cutely in a pair of hip hugging jeans and a light purple t-shirt made of a smooth material with lace at the neckline. Her long golden hair fell down around her hips; she hadn't bothered getting it cut, and she kind of liked it long. Daphne enjoyed it too, always wanting to play with it or brush it. Since it hadn't gotten in the way often, she usually just tied it back when it annoyed her or became bothersome.

Adrenaline rushed through her, warning her to act.

Sabrina stared him down. She didn't budge from the spot, one hand on the door, her posture poised to run. She knew the dangers. She was aware of the risks. There was a good chance that she was making the biggest mistake of her life, but it was a chance she had to take.

"No," she said finally. It was not happening. Never. "Put that away Puck, I'll say it but I'm not going to wear that as today's declaration."

It was hideous! How could he even suggest it?

The t-shirt was two sizes too big for her, had Puck's face plastered on the front, and underneath it was a long love confession that praised Puck's wit, looks, charm, achievements, etc, etc. The confession continued on the back, with a big heart to go right over her butt.

Puck grinned at Sabrina wickedly. "You know our deal," he said. "I have to approve the declaration. And today _this_ is the only thing that I'm approving." He had a cocky grin on his face - the same grin that the face on the shirt was wearing.

"Well then YOU wear it," Sabrina said. She took off running, dodging to the side to try and avoid his grasp. If she made it out the door, there was a chance she could get to school unscathed. They were so close to the end of the school year at this point!

She nearly flew down the stairs, tripping only once in her dash for the front door. Puck flew after her, eating up the distance and not having to be stopped by the stairs once.

He caught her around the waist, lifting her up before she could actually reach the door. "Going somewhere?" he teased with a grin. If she thought she was escaping, she was very wrong.

"Oh come on!" Sabrina cried, struggling. "Let me go, Puck!"

Jake just shook his head at them, walking out the door. He finally had a breakfast date with Briar Rose.

"Nope," Puck said, shaking his head. "Not until you agree. I can hold you like this all day. ^^"

"You're not allowed to make me miss school, remember?" Sabrina scowled, struggles dying down. "And I have to walk Daphne. I'm _not _wearing that t-shirt, let's go!"

Puck looked thoughtful. "Well," he said, "I suppose I _could_ put up the one hundred "Sabrina loves Robin" posters that I designed instead. All over the school."

She paused. Actually, that was a better alternative. Maybe. "What do they look like?"

"Well, your picture is on it. You know, from that time that I switched your shampoo with glue?" Puck looked perfectly innocent. Sabrina's hair had been a glue sculpture for days after that one.

"...I will kill you, Puck," she scowled. "Put me down right this minute and if I see a single poster at school I'll... I'll stop kissing you for a whole week for every single poster!" she threatened.

Puck's eyes widened. "Hey now, that's playing dirty!" he said, because she knew full well how much he liked kissing her. "Besides, you know you can't resist me."

"Okay here's the deal," Sabrina said. "I can tell you I love you in front of no more than ten people today, OR, you can try pranking me, and I'll not only stop kissing you for a set amount of time, but I'll kiss OTHER BOYS instead!"

Daphne was trying not to laugh so badly at the table that she was practically choking on her breakfast. She could hear them.

Puck's expression grew comical, and then horrified. "You _wouldn't!_" he exclaimed, knowing full well that she would. Sabrina never threatened something she wasn't going to follow through on.

"You have three seconds to put me down," Sabrina swore. "Three. Two…"

She was on her feet, and Puck had landed. He was also still holding the T-shirt, and he looked at it with disappointment. "Sorry, my friend," he said to it. "She drives a hard bargain, she does."

He looked at her. "Ten people?"

"Maximum," Sabrina snapped, going into the dining room. In addition to glow-in-the-dark waffles from Relda, Jake had tossed in some regular pancakes.

"One at a time?" Puck followed her into the dining room, his eyes diverting to the food. He snapped his fingers and the t-shirt disappeared, going back to wherever Puck sent it in his room.

"All at once," Sabrina said, sitting down. "Not one at a time."

Puck looked disappointed, taking his seat next to her. "All right."

"Wow, Puck, you're giving up that quickly?" Daphne asked, looking at him.

"She played the 'kissing other boys' card, marshmallow," he said. He gave a huge, dramatic sigh. "A man must learn to admit his limits." He had an utterly adorable 'woe is me' look on his face.

Sabrina rolled her eyes and finished off her breakfast. She looked very cute that day, with a hairclip holding back the hair on her left side, the right side falling over her cheek a little.

"I love the way that your hair looks today, Sabrina," Daphne said, as Puck wolfed down his own breakfast, watching Sabrina out of the corner of his eye. He wasn't admitting it out loud, but he thought she looked great.

"Thanks," Sabrina said. "Mom did it for me. She bought me this shirt too."

"I should get Mom to show me how to do that with hair," Daphne said. "Then I can do your hair after I brush it." The younger girl was thrilled to have her sister healthy again, and back to her regular self. She'd missed her.

"Sure," Sabrina said. After she finished her breakfast, she stood. Her hair shimmered, giving a little bounce near the bottom in soft waves. "Ready for school?"

Daphne nodded, giggling when she saw how Puck's eyes followed Sabrina's hair. "Do you think Kerdy will be there this morning?" she asked, getting up from the table as well.

"Well, he's been walking you guys to school every morning for the past month, and he walked you to school while I was in the hospital... What do you think?" Sabrina teased.

Daphne blushed a touch, picking up her school bag and hugging it. "Well, let's go so that we don't keep him waiting, then," she said.

True enough, Kerdy greeted them to walk them to school, smiling like always. "Morning Sabrina, Puck, Princess."

"Morning Kerdy," Sabrina said.

"Yo," Puck said with a nod to Kerdy. He was a lot more civil to the other boy now that Kerdy's attention seemed to be more on Daphne and not Sabrina.

"Good morning, Kerdy," Daphne said, smiling at him. "Guess what? Miss White says that I can test for my next belt soon!" She'd found this out at her last class, and she'd been telling everyone.

"Mrs. Charming," Sabrina corrected Daphne. The younger girl seemed to refuse to accept Snow White's name could change still.

"That's great, Princess," Kerdy said with a grin. "You could probably beat me up. I'm not good at fighting like my brothers."

"Why would I want to beat you up?" Daphne asked in confusion, since the thought of getting into a physical fight with Kerdy had never once crossed her mind.

"Well hopefully you don't, just saying," Kerdy teased. "You and Sabrina are really tough."

"I'll agree with that one," Puck said, looking at Sabrina. "I remember certain punches." Particularly the one right after he'd surprise-kissed Sabrina the first time.

Daphne looked pleased. Sabrina had always been taking care of her, she was happy to be told that she was tough like her.

"There are plenty of ways to avoid getting punched, Puck," Sabrina said, looking at him. And she clearly didn't mean dodging.

Kerdy chuckled. They chatted on the way to the school like always, and Sabrina had even forgotten her promise to make a love confession of Puck's choosing in front of ten people.

Puck hadn't. As they reached the entrance to the school, he looked at her. "So," he said, "before class starts, or during lunch?"

Sabrina stared at him blankly. Then she groaned. "Ugh. Before class. Get it out of the way."

Kerdy shook his head. He was used to this by now.

Puck grinned broadly. "Awesome," he said, preferring to start his day off with a declaration from her.

Daphne looked at Kerdy and grinned. She always got a kick out of things like this with Puck and her sister.

Sabrina rolled her eyes. "What do I say and where?" Sometimes he scripted it. Sometimes he made her ramble until he was satisfied.

Puck looked thoughtful, looking around the schoolyard. A lot of kids were still standing around, waiting until the last minute to go inside, or waiting for people.

He took her hand and pulled her over to a bench. "Up here," he said, pointing at the bench and indicating that she should stand on it. "^^ I'll tell you when to stop."

Something that looked like a death bubble appeared near Sabrina's head in her mind as she muttered to herself, but she got onto the bench anyway.

She had people's attention--kids were looking over.

"Excuse me," she said. "I have an announcement to make. I love-" she caught sight of a boy she'd never seen before glancing over from near the benches, and the words died in her mouth.

Daphne blinked, looking up at Sabrina in confusion.

Puck raised an eyebrow, his hands on his hips. "I didn't tell you to stop yet," he said, looking up at her.

Sabrina didn't seem to even hear Puck, staring at the boy.

He saw her and smiled, a dazzling smile on a dazzling handsome face. He had thick black hair, wavy and perfect, and a handsome well-muscled body. Definitely dazzling, in every overuse of the word.

Puck frowned, then turned his head and followed her gaze. He blanched immediately, realizing what Sabrina was staring at.

Puck reached up for her hand. "Okay, off the bench," he said immediately.

Sabrina ignored him, mouth open a little.

The boy walked over to the bench and smiled. His voice was accented and lovely. Maybe Spanish. "Hello. I am new here. What is your name?"

"S-Sabrina," Sabrina whispered, cheeks flushing.

"And she's not interested," Puck said immediately, looking at the boy. "Not. Interested."

Daphne looked at Kerdy with slightly wide eyes. Kerdy looked to Daphne and shrugged, then back at the boy.

"Sorry, I did not realize you answered for her," the boy said.

"He doesn't," Sabrina said quickly, getting down off the bench and looking at him. She held her hand out. "Sabrina Grimm."

"Jeremy Rodriguez," He said, taking her hand. Instead of shaking it, he kissed it.

This made Sabrina's blush darken.

"Hey!" Puck protested, and rather loudly. Saying 'hi' was one thing. Shaking hands another. But kissing hands? No one was allowed to put their lips on Sabrina other than him!

"Who is this?" Jeremy asked, looking to Puck.

"Robin Goodfellow," Kerdy said, since Jeremy was clearly new to town and not an Everafter.

"I see," Jeremy shrugged and looked back to Sabrina. "Will you show me around?"

"O-okay," Sabrina said, coy.

"Hey, Grimm," Puck said, pitching his voice a little louder to get her attention. "What about our deal? You know, the reason you were on the bench?"

"Huh?" Sabrina turned to Puck for a moment, blinking as if she'd forgotten he was there. "Oh... Later, okay?" She let Jeremy start to pull her away by her hand, towards the school.

Puck's eyes widened. And then they narrowed, jealousy flaring up inside of him. It wasn't that Sabrina was just being nice - she was flirting! And being flirted with! "No, _not_ later," he insisted. He reached out and seized Sabrina's arm to pull her away from Jeremy and into his arms.

"Hew, ow!" Sabrina winced when Puck grabbed her arm. "Let go, you're hurting me!"

"And you're not acting like yourself," Puck said, looking at Sabrina. He did loosen his grip though, not actually wanting to hurt her.

"Just a sec," Sabrina said to Jeremy, letting go of his hand. She moved closer to Puck and spoke in a low voice. "I'm getting a little tired of you acting like you own me, Puck. Lay off, I'm not in the mood."

Puck narrowed his eyes. "We had a deal," he replied. "And that deal did _not_ include you making eyes at Pretty Boy and blowing me off."

"Ya know Puck, maybe I'm getting tired of the deal. You don't own me. I've been pretty forgiving since I got my ass kicked while you were off sulking, so don't push it. I'm going to go show Jeremy around," Sabrina snapped. She yanked her arm away, whirling around to go with Jeremy.

Puck stared at her, stunned speechless for once. She'd never responded to him like that before. Sure, she got annoyed with the deal, but she didn't just blow him off like that. And things hadn't been strained… They'd been happy and back on schedule with dating and arguing. It wasn't like she was just tolerating him and still holding that event over his head, so why…

Jeremy glanced at Puck. Then he smirked with a look that could not be translated any other way than "I'm gonna take your girlfriend."

Puck's face flushed with anger and irritation. Like heck he was. He moved in front of Sabrina and cupped her face suddenly, kissing her firmly.

Sabrina yelped. For a moment, she kissed him back. Then she yanked back and smacked him. "Not even, I'm mad at you," she snapped.

Puck felt a definite touch of satisfaction that she had kissed him back, but he was stinging from the smack. He cast a glare over at Jeremy - no way was he letting the other boy take Sabrina. "Class is going to start soon, you'll be late if you show him around," he said.

"You've made me late before," Sabrina griped. But she looked to Jeremy.

"That is alright," Jeremy said, following up with something in Spanish that made Sabrina swoon a bit. Then he tugged her close, cupping her cheek and suddenly kissing her.

Sabrina's eyes flew wide open.

Daphne let out a yelp, shocked.

Puck lost it. "_Hey!_" he shouted, his face turning red with anger. "_What the hell do you think you're doing?_" He took a step forward, prepared to yank Jeremy away from Sabrina and get the boy's hands off of her.

Jeremy broke the kiss and smirked. "See ya."

He pulled back and headed into the school, as Sabrina stood there in shock.

She touched her heart, which was beating very fast. "Wh... What just happened," She whispered.

"What just happened?" Puck repeated, clenching his fists in anger. "He kissed you, that's what just happened! He just kissed you without warning, that slime!" His eyes burned. "If he thinks he's getting away with that, he's got another thing coming." His hand reached into his pocket, where he kept his flute - which he wasn't supposed to pull out at school.

Kerdy glanced at Sabrina. "Yeah, he grabbed you and kissed you. And... You didn't hit him."

Sabrina blinked. And then she blushed. She... hadn't hit Jeremy.

Puck's hand froze, his flute halfway out of his pocket. Sabrina _hadn't_ hit Jeremy. He looked at her with wide eyes. Why hadn't she hit him?

Daphne looked up at Sabrina. "Sabrina, are you okay?" she asked.

Sabrina was still blushing, an unreadable look on her face. She reached up to touch her lips, distracted.

"What's gotten into you?" Puck demanded, standing in front of her. "Since when do you just let guys do that? You hit me the first time I kissed you!"

Sabrina looked up at him. Then she glared. "Well you smelled gross and you were a total ugly jerk."

"So what's his excuse?" Puck demanded. "You're my girlfriend."

Sabrina rolled her eyes. "Whatever," she said, moving to walk around him towards the school.

Kerdy rubbed the back of his neck.

"Whatever?" Puck repeated. "Some stranger just goes off and kisses you when you already have a boyfriend and all you can say is whatever?"

Daphne looked up at Kerdy. "What's going on?" she whispered to him. Kerdy had no answer, looking awkward and unsure.

Ignoring Puck, Sabrina walked into the school.

Irritated, confused, and angry, Puck clenched his fists and stalked after Sabrina, muttering under his breath. They were in the same class, after all - they had to go to the same place.

Sabrina seemed just as annoyed with Puck. Right before she had the urge to go apologize, Jeremy approached her and she spent lunch showing him around the school.

When school ended, Jeremy and Sabrina were chatting like old friends. Before she could leave to walk with the others, he kissed her again. And this time, Sabrina didn't even look shocked. Her body relaxed, and then she had wrapped her arms around him, kissing him back.

Puck strode right up behind Jeremy, grabbed the other boy by the shoulder, and yanked him backwards. "Get _off_ my girlfriend," he said angrily. Now he was pissed.

And convinced that there was something going on here. This was _not_ normal Sabrina behavior.

"Hey!" Sabrina gasped, stumbling from the shock. "Puck, what is your problem?"

"Puck?" Jeremy asked. "I thought he is Robin." He didn't look at all bothered by what Puck had done, speaking smoothly in his swoon-worthy accent.

"My problem is that you're acting completely not like yourself, and this guy can't keep his hands to himself," Puck said angrily, glaring at Jeremy. "What the hell did you do to her?"

Jeremy looked confused. "I don't understand," he said, looking to Puck. "I didn't do anything unusual."

Sabrina put her hands on her hips.

"Nothing unusual?" Puck asked, staring at Jeremy as if he'd grown a second head. "She's _my _girlfriend! Not yours."

"Isn't that her choice?" Jeremy asked.

"Look, I need to think about stuff," Sabrina said. "We're not eleven and the only people around each other anymore Puck... Chill out."

"That's not the point," Puck said, looking at Sabrina, "and what do you mean, you need to think about stuff?" He looked at Jeremy, and then at Sabrina. "You don't know him. You don't know anything about him. You're not being yourself."

"I'm being myself," Sabrina said. "You just can't handle the fact that I might actually think someone besides you is cute," she scowled at him.

"He is _not cute_," Puck insisted. He glanced at Jeremy, then leaned towards Sabrina and lowered his voice. "I think he's enchanted you, Grimm."

Sabrina stared at Puck. Then she laughed. "Really, Puck? Really?" She held her stomach. "Wow, you're completely jealous!"

Jeremy watched curiously.

Puck's cheeks reddened. "I am not!" he protested in a way that clearly indicated that he was.

"You seriously are," Sabrina said. "Let's just go home, Puck. Jeez."

She looked to Jeremy. "I'll think about it, okay? But Puck and I have been together for a while."

"Okay," Jeremy said easily.

Puck glowered, still convinced that Sabrina was not being herself, but he put his arm around her waist. She was, at least going to be coming home with him.

The walk home was awkward and quiet. Kerdy hadn't come with them, Daphne was taking her lessons...

Sabrina sighed.

"What is it?" Puck asked, looking at her. He'd been scowling and clearly not happy was they headed home.

"Well, I was thinking," Sabrina said, "we're still young--well, I am anyway. Maybe it wouldn't be a big deal to see if we like other people too? I mean, dad was in love with an Everafter before he married mom. Maybe I like someone normal too."

"....normal," Puck said, his tone flat at that word. He looked at her as if he couldn't believe the words that she was speaking.

Sabrina looked at him, and then grimaced. "I didn't mean it like that, Puck."

"Then what did you mean?" Puck asked. "Not to mention we've been through a lot more together than most people your age. You don't even know that guy."

Sabrina flushed. "I know but... Puck, I have thought other guys were cute, ya know. And I made myself promise not to freak out over small things like I did three months ago, so I know I'm thinking rationally. You can think I'm enchanted or whatever all you want, but I don't have any goblin mirror shards, I didn't drink a love potion, and it's not like the kiss he gave me was taking me out of an enchanted sleep. The kiss caught me off guard, but he's a really good kisser too. I'm just considering my options… It's not really that big a deal, is it? So what if I kissed someone else, you had a friggin' fiancée."

"That's not the same thing at all," Puck insisted. "I didn't love her. I didn't even _like_ her, let alone kiss her." He scowled. "And there's no way he's better at kissing than I am."

"Kiss him and find out," Sabrina said with a scowl. "At least if I liked him, he wouldn't force me to tell him I loved him."

Puck scowled back, to try and mask the hurt at that. "It's not like I'm making you tell a lie," he said.

"It's not like I have a choice," Sabrina said. "Maybe you've made me say it so many times just so I can avoid your stupid pranks that it's _not _true anymore. See if I ever say it again if I didn't _have _to just to avoid the pranks."

Puck stared at her. "So...what? Are you saying that if I let you off the hook for that, you wouldn't say you loved me?"

She looked at him, her expression a little guarded. "Well, are you secure enough to risk it?"

He looked at her for a long moment, taking in her expression. They'd never had a talk as serious as this before.

"Okay, then," Puck said. "No more saying you love me just to get out of pranks."

"Promise?" Sabrina asked, taking his hand. She waited for confirmation spoken and through their code.

"Promise," Puck replied, squeezing her hand once.

"Okay," Sabrina let go of him and headed for the house. For the remainder of the day and the next morning, she didn't tell him she loved him. Not even once.

Puck was in absolute knots. He knew he'd taken a gamble, a major risk - and he couldn't figure out how Sabrina was going to react to anything now. Pranks of any kind were furthest from his mind - the only thing he could think about was what was going on with Sabrina.

***.*.*.*.***

**A/N:**

**Sky: **Enough of A/Ns already! Just wanted to say this will always be a Puck/Sabrina story, but the drama has only just begun. Bwahahahaha.

And uh… About the punctured lung thing… We're not doctors. Don't expect us to know exactly how that should have been handled XD I already learned more about pneumothorax than I ever thought I would by trying to figure out how they'd handle her, and recovery time XD R/R! Luvvies ^^/


	11. The Promise

**EDIT: Sky: Re-Added scene skips.**

**A/N:**

**Sky: **ARUDFIDGHYUDN. Okay quick A/N.** Word crashed and I had to re-write a page and a half from memory by myself, the people voting for us for best fic ROCK MY SOCKS, this chapter explains the story title, **WOW 35 reviews since chapter 10 went up, my family situation is much better and I'm cheerful, and Ayns passed out before she got a chance to look at the chapter so I hope I didn't screw up English at 2 AM on my own!** And YAY PEOPLE DON'T LIKE JEREMY! I hate him.**

Special thanks to: **msjezzi-bella, Stark X Zoey, FaminaSG, Dramaqueenruling, BoOkLuvEr303, LylaDomae, Schadenfreude62, Alice Starr, dog9girl, minus your plus, grimmgirl, bluejeans12, Hippiegirl321995, no one, Trickster Queen464, silent-entrance, Twilight0, Viva-Musica, KatieTwilight589, princessofodd, Tanglenight, Lara D, Ascaisil, aliceinblack, ZOMBIEfiedCrayons, **and** A CertainPeanutButterSandwich ^^**

Enjoy!

***.*.*.*.***

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter Eleven: The Promise_**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

A few days later, it seemed that Sabrina was her normal self. As normal as she could be, anyway. Except for her sudden cold shoulder towards Puck, she hadn't changed. It wasn't like the time she had been infected by the Goblin's Mirror.

For the entire week, she had been civil and friendly to people, but she hung out with Jeremy a lot, and still refused to tell Puck she loved him. She had even stopped kissing him. As a result, Daphne wasn't talking to her at all, and Kerdy was extremely awkward with them. No one had seen Jeremy and Sabrina kissing, but there were lots of rumors.

Puck tried to act like it wasn't bothering him - even though it clearly was, and anyone who actually knew him could see that. No matter how nonchalant he acted, it was clear that he missed Sabrina telling him that she loved him, and missed kissing her. He didn't prank her, sticking to his word, but he had been getting worried that maybe she _had _only said the words to stop the pranks. In all the time he'd been a King, he hadn't quite felt such an anxiety before.

And the more bothered by it he got, the more irritating he became to everyone around him.

***.*.*.*.***

Daphne sat on the bed, her homework spread out in front of her as she stared down at it. In second grade she'd been crazy about homework, if only because of she wanted so badly to please Snow. Now that she was in fourth grade, she still tried to do well, but she wasn't quite as focused on it.

And with the recent events surrounding Sabrina… no way was she interested in keeping up with her homework. Not when her sister was acting like such…such an idiot! Daphne couldn't understand what had gotten into her. She couldn't understand why Sabrina was going out on date with Jeremy when Puck was right there. It didn't make any sense.

And the more it didn't make sense, the more upset Daphne had been getting. Currently, Sabrina was out of the house (on her date), and Puck had shut himself up in his room with a refusal to come out. He wouldn't budge on it, either. Not even for food. Being alone in the silence of the house, with her anxiety and her worry, had been more than Daphne could bear. She felt so confused about everything…

In an effort to keep the loneliness from eating at her, and to hopefully take her mind off of things, Daphne had finally called up Kerdy and asked him to come over. She used the homework as an excuse…well, more of a reason, really, because she really couldn't focus on the homework by herself. And since Kerdy was in high school, fourth grade science and history would probably be a piece of cake for him.

When Kerdy arrived, he was let into the house by a solemn and lost-in-thought Jake, who simply went back to muttering about fairy godmothers.

With an eyebrow raised, Kerdy made his way up to Sabrina and Daphne's room, avoiding Elvis and shifting his backpack on the way. "Princess?" he called, not wanting to startle her by just showing up without any announcement to his arrival.

He hadn't been talking with Sabrina or Puck much lately. Not with the awkward funk of being around them...

Daphne looked up at the sound of Kerdy's voice, and she perked up a touch - but only a touch. It was clear that up until that moment, she'd been struggling with loneliness and misery.

"Hi, Kerdy," she said, forcing a smile into place when she saw him. "Thanks for coming over."

He smiled from the doorway, but his smile was troubled. He kept the door open--it was a rule Henry and Veronica had concerning boys being in the girls' room. Walking over, he put his backpack down and placed a hand on her shoulder. "What's on your mind?"

Daphne sighed. "It's that obvious?" she asked. She pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging them. "It's Sabrina and Puck, of course. Sabrina's off on a date with that guy, and Puck won't come out of his room."

"Yeah, Jeremy_ Rodriguez," _Kerdy said, adding the cheesiest accent he could. "He may as well be _Preence Caspian, _bad accent and all."

Daphne clapped her hand over her mouth and stifled a giggle, which ended up making her give a rather undignified snort. Which only made her blush and giggle some more.

When she managed to get herself under control, she said, "Thanks. I needed that, Kerdy."

Kerdy grinned at her, tousling her hair a bit. "Anytime. This'll blow over, you know it will. I don't think anyone else would survive a relationship with either one of them."

"This just seriously mondo-sucks," Daphne said with a heavy sigh. "I can't figure out why Sabrina is acting this way. She and Puck are perfect for each other...why is she doing this?" She looked at Kerdy as if he, in all his high school wisdom, might have the answers.

"Puck's convinced she's under a spell," Kerdy said. "I think it's either that or she's having a crazy meltdown."

"Knowing my sister it could be either." But Daphne perked up a little. "But if it's a spell we can fight it, can't we?"

"Yep. So, do you really need help with your homework, or were you just lonely?" He asked, pulling up a chair and sitting near the bed.

"...sort of a little of both," Daphne admitted. "I haven't been able to concentrate on my homework...and yeah, I guess I've been lonely."

"I figured," Kerdy said. "My brothers are hanging out at the house right now--they come around every once in a while. It's not like they have a lot of places to go, but they give mom and dad space. I guess I realized it's pretty lonely without them, and it made me wonder how you were holding up. How about we do your homework, then head out and get some ice cream or something fun?"

Daphne looked at him, and then a shy smile crept across her face. "Okay," she said with a nod. "I'd like that." She wasn't going to object to hanging out with Kerdy for a while - he was definitely one of her favorite people.

"I'll even let you explain to me again why Prince Caspian wasn't supposed to be _so suave_," he added the last part with his cheesy accent and a grin.

"Deal!" Daphne grinned back at him. "Just do me a favor and don't do that accent anymore, especially when we get ice cream. You don't want me snorting ice cream, do you?"

"I dunno, you made me snort a hot dog once," Kerdy pointed out. "It might be a nice revenge. At least ice cream melts..." he grimaced at the memory.

Then he paused, looking past Daphne to her dresser, where a piece of string was sticking out of one of the drawers.

"What is it?" Daphne asked, seeing his eyes focusing behind her. She turned, and caught sight of the string.

She flushed a little. "Oh, yeah... I guess maybe it's silly, but I've been holding on to it."

"Is that the same string they were using a year ago when Sabrina was cut off from the world?" Kerdy asked. "I haven't seen that stuff in forever. Sabrina said she threw it out."

"Yeah, she did, but..." Daphne tugged on a bit of her hair. "I sort of pulled it out of the trash can when she wasn't looking."

"You really care about Puck and Sabrina, don't you?" he asked, turning to her. "I wonder if either of them know just how much you think about them."

"I just want my sister to be happy," Daphne said hurriedly. "And Puck makes her happy - I know he does. They may fight a lot, and drive each other crazy, but I really don't think they could be happy with anyone else."

Kerdy got up and headed to the dresser, pulling out the frayed cord. Both pieces were there, still tied, though loosely now. "Hey... Can I borrow this? I think I can get them both to wear it again kinda."

Daphne blinked. "Really?" she asked. "Sure, if you think you can do something with it." She trusted Kerdy with the cord - she knew he understood that it was important to her.

Kerdy turned and grinned at Daphne. "Yeah. I'll think of something."

He understood alright. He knew that to Daphne, those small pieces of frayed string represented a time when Puck and Sabrina completely trusted each other, and would have done anything to stay near each other. With the way they were acting now, especially... Daphne must have been taking it out of whatever box she'd been keeping it in and hoping things would fix themselves.

He walked over to the bed again, putting the cord in his backpack.

Daphne watched him anxiously, right up until the cord went into his backpack safely. "Thanks, Kerdy," she said softly. "I'm really glad you came over."

"To be honest, I had ulterior motives too," he joked, ready to explain 'ulterior' if he had to. Daphne was bright, but every once in a while she still had trouble with a word one of the older kids would use.

Daphne paused, and then frowned. "What's...ulterior?" she asked, right on cue.

With an affectionate grin, Kerdy went into his usual explanations and started to help her with her homework. With Sabrina usually busy dating or arguing with Puck, Kerdy had ended up as Daphne's default dictionary more often than not. And now that Sabrina was dating someone Daphne couldn't stand, which alienated Puck, Daphne was going to Kerdy even more.

He had to wonder if she had any real friends her age. She was certainly popular with the other girls in her class, especially for having one of the most talked about couples in her family. Puck was actually quite a catch to the schoolgirls who only knew him as Robin, and Sabrina was getting to be as lovely as her mother. Combined with the fact that Daphne had a friend in high school, she was a hero to the kids in her class.

But she wasn't their friend. Rather, she didn't have a real friend to confide in or laugh with. It was one of the reasons Kerdy was trying so hard to cheer her up; Kerdy had a huge soft spot for the normally happy little girl.

***.*.*.*.***

Only a few more days after Kerdy had taken the string, Sabrina was acting a little more awkward than normal. Something seemed to be truly bothering her, and she stuck close to Puck. Jeremy was constantly around, but he didn't move closer, just waiting for Sabrina to come to him.

Sabrina paused when school ended that day, looking to Puck. "Hey Puck, can we talk before we go home?" Regardless of their awkward situation, he didn't let her walk home alone. They'd still walked together no matter how annoyed or cold they acted to each other.

Puck stopped walking and turned to look at her. "Talk?" he repeated. He shoved his hands into his pockets for a moment, then pulled them out. "Okay. Where?"

"Just over here," she led him to the benches. "Look... I've been seeing Jeremy a lot more lately. I think I really like him. He's going to go to New York for the summer and he offered to let me come. I already told mom about it."

"Yeah?" Puck shoved his hands back into his pockets, his posture tensing. "All summer?" Everything about him was guarded. If she went to New York for the summer...there was no way that he'd be able to follow.

"I'm sorry Puck. I guess I just had to say it for so long, I didn't realize I didn't mean it," Sabrina muttered, looking away. Her head hurt.

Puck clenched his fists tightly, digging his nails into his palms. "Well, I did," he said angrily. "I meant everything I ever told you, Sabrina." He clenched his jaw, looking away from her for a moment. Then he looked back at her. "Look at me and tell me that you don't love me."

She did more than just look at him sadly. She took his hand too. "I don't love you that way, Puck."

She squeezed his hand once.

Puck yanked his hand back, out of her grip. "Don't," he said tightly. "Just...don't." Hurt and anger showed on his face. Nothing had ever hurt him the way that this did.

She flinched and put her hands in her pockets, not saying anything.

"That guy's no good for you, Sabrina," Puck said. "What kind of guy goes after a girl who's already with someone?" He shook his head angrily. "And I can't believe you're just letting go of this. I trusted you."

Sabrina turned away from him, feeling she'd said everything she'd already had to say. There was no point. All she could think of was the same lame thing. "I'm sorry."

"Whatever," Puck said bitterly, with a definite edge to his voice. He turned on his heel, then extended his wings and launched himself into the air. He wanted to put as much distance between himself and anyone else as quickly as he could. He _would not_ let anyone see his tears. It was hard enough dealing with the fact that he was actually crying, and he cursed the fact that Sabrina really did mean enough to him that he'd react so badly to her rejection.

"Puck..." Sabrina watched him go, then sighed.

She walked off, looking sad, but still a little refreshed. She had a date with Jeremy.

Daphne stood nearby, watching Sabrina with an angry expression on her face. She hadn't heard the exchange between Puck and her sister, but she could tell from Puck's reaction that it couldn't be good.

She had no idea what Sabrina was thinking. How could she break up with Puck? Daphne had never seen her happier than when she'd been with him. Had her sister gone completely crazy? Had Kerdy been completely wrong? Was this something that they wouldn't be able to fix?

No… Daphne had to believe that Sabrina was under a spell. They'd fix everything…

They had to.

***.*.*.*.*  
**  
"I really should be getting home, I don't feel very good," Sabrina said when her date with Jeremy had ended. They'd gone out for ice cream and pizza, but like always, he'd been a little too clingy for her liking.

The first day, she'd been so enamored that she hadn't thought any of his actions were too strange. Even with Puck insisting he had her under a spell, she hadn't thought about why she'd reacted so strongly.

But after actually breaking up with Puck, she couldn't banish the fluttery feeling of uneasiness in her belly. And she wasn't sure why she hadn't let Jeremy kiss her since the time Puck had pretty much yanked them apart. Two kisses, and she'd broken up with Puck?

A sharp pain in her head made her dispel the thought. Puck was an Everafter, anyway. She liked the normalcy of a regular boyfriend.

They were walking near a large park with a stone gate surrounding it in the town, and he put his arm in front of her, blocking her in against the stone. "It's early," he purred in his Spanish accent.

She grinned sheepishly, but she shifted uncomfortably. He put his other arm on her other side, holding her there. Another pang of uneasiness hit. Jeremy was such a strange name for a boy with his accent and native language. Then again, she had dated a boy named 'Puck'. Who was she to judge on names?

A scent of cloves and honey rushed to her senses. Jeremy had told her it was his cologne, and at first, she'd loved the smell. Now it made her a little dizzy, though it relaxed her.

"Kiss me. I've been going crazy," Jeremy murmured.

Sabrina swallowed, looking up at him. Before, she would have been all over his face. Now? She just... She wasn't sure she wanted to. He was still dazzling and handsome, and his accent really was nice to listen to… And very few people knew how big of a sucker Sabrina was for foreign languages… But something felt wrong. Really wrong.

He kept moving closer, either unaware of or not caring about her tense posture and obvious discomfort. When she looked away, he grabbed her chin and tilted her head up so she was able to be kissed.

Sabrina stared up at him, tensing even more. Why did it feel so horribly wrong when she had already told herself this was what she wanted?

Because there was only one person she wanted to kiss, and it wasn't Jeremy.

She squeezed her eyes shut in anticipation, a soft whimper leaving. She didn't want to kiss him!

When their lips met, it felt smoother than normal, and much more forceful. It kind of hurt. And kind of smelled more like Puck than Jeremy—like a forest and fresh rain instead of honey and cloves. And... He had no lips? What?

Sabrina opened her eyes in confusion, to see that a hand had been shoved between them, grasping Jeremy's face to shove him away soon, while the back of the hand was pressed tight to her lips. "Mmph?"

Puck then shoved Jeremy's face, and the rest of Jeremy with it, away from Sabrina. "When someone doesn't want to be kissed, it usually means that they don't want to be kissed," he said, glaring at Jeremy.

And it had been obvious to Puck that Sabrina had _not_ wanted to be kissed. He'd gotten a definite uneasy feeling while he'd been flying - he didn't trust Jeremy, period. And it looked like he had good reason not to. And Sabrina didn't need to know that he'd been checking up on her more than once during her date.

"Hey!" Jeremy snapped at Puck. "This is none of your business!"

Sabrina shivered. Then she turned and ran towards her house, ditching both boys. Her head felt dizzy and overwhelmed. The cloves made her taste bile in the back of her throat, and the honey just made it hard to swallow. The lingering scent of Puck, his jungle of a room clinging to his skin and clothes, made it easier for her to focus.

"Sabrina!" Jeremy turned to follow her, but she was a fast runner.

And Puck happened to be fast in his own right - though he remembered, wisely, not to use the wings. He also happened to be very quick with sticking out his foot to trip up Jeremy.

He took off after Sabrina. It didn't matter if he could actually catch her or not before she got home - he lived there, too, he'd catch up eventually.

Jeremy didn't follow them all the way, but as soon as Sabrina got home, she ran up to the room she shared with Daphne and slammed the door shut. She was shaking badly. Puck headed up the stairs, ignoring any questions from anyone else who had just seen Sabrina run up the stairs as top speed.

He stopped outside of the door, and knocked. "Sabrina," he said. She didn't answer, and he scowled. "Grimm, open up!"

"I want to be alone right now," Sabrina said, taking off her jewelry and throwing her hair in a ponytail. She rubbed her own arms, feeling stupid for being her definition of 'dressed up'. She'd even worn a new shirt with lace on the sleeves and collar. Now it felt silly and itchy.

Puck opened his mouth...and then closed it. "All right," he said. This was new territory. She'd...broken up with him, after all. For a moment he'd almost forgotten...

He headed for his room. She'd know where to find him, if she decided she wanted to talk.

After he'd gone, Sabrina moved to sit down on her bed, lying back and taking deep breaths. Any time she tried to sort her thoughts, she got a headache. "I hate cloves," she mumbled.

Turning on her side, she tried not to think about all of the things that had happened lately.

Her hand shifted to cover the other, absently brushing at her knuckles. The motion relaxed her, and she sighed softly. Puck had saved her from the awkward almost-kiss. Had that reminded her of a time when she'd felt for him?

She frowned. Her head hurt again. The ache didn't go away, even when she managed to fall asleep. It wasn't until she awoke again that clarity settled over her, and she realized what she had to do.

***.*.*.*.*  
**  
Kerdy hadn't shown up to walk with them the next morning, and Puck had gone on ahead. It was cold, and Sabrina paused near the school.

She touched Daphne's arm. "Daphne?" she asked, to stop her so they could talk.

Daphne swallowed hard. She'd continued the silent treatment - partly because she was upset, and partly because she just didn't know what to say to Sabrina about any of this.

But she stopped and turned to her sister. "Yeah?" she asked.

"I need your help this morning," Sabrina said quietly. "Can you do something for me?"

Daphne looked at her hesitantly...and then nodded. "What is it?" she asked.

Sabrina pulled Daphne a bit closer, explaining the plan to her younger sister. It involved causing a scene near the principal's office so that Sabrina could sneak in.

Daphne was intrigued despite herself, and then nodded to Sabrina. "Right now?" she asked.

"When class starts," Sabrina said. She saw Jeremy, and she ducked behind Daphne a bit. "And we have to hide me from Jeremy right now."

Daphne glanced over, saw Jeremy as well, and immediately went into protective younger sister mode. "Stay behind me while we slip into the building," she said. "We'll lose him in the crowd."

Acting like ninjas, the two girls snuck into the school and to the principal's office. The plan went off without a problem.

***.*.*.*.*  
**  
Sabrina wasn't in the first period class when it started, and the teacher looked at Puck as if he'd be able to give an explanation.

Puck was leaning back in his chair, his feet propped up on the desk and his arms crossed over his chest. He looked at the teacher, and raised an eyebrow. "What?" he asked.

"You're usually with that troublemaking Grimm," the teacher said. "Any reason why she isn't here?"

"Not a clue," Puck said. "I got here way before her, obviously." He raised an eyebrow at the teacher...and darted a quick glance over at Sabrina's empty seat.

Where _was_ she?

The intercom suddenly sparked to life, with a bit of feedback first. Then…

"Ow, Daphne don't touch that button," Sabrina said over the intercom. "It's freaking loud--go stand by the door and make sure they can't get in."

They had both snuck in and locked the door, but it had taken a bit to figure out how to use the intercom.

"Oops, sorry," Daphne's voice came, sounding apologetic. There was a pause, and then her voice again, a little fainter. "Over here?"

Puck looked up, staring at the intercom in disbelief. What were those girls up to?

"That's good--jam the door. Okay, now ssh, I need a minute," Sabrina's voice said. And then there was the sound of her taking a deep breath.

"My name is Sabrina Grimm. I'm thirteen, and I've been living in Ferryport Landing for over two years now. Or something," Sabrina said, confirming to people who barley even knew her what was happening.

Puck looked around the room for a moment - everyone's attention seemed to be on the loudspeaker.

Then his attention was on the speaker again, too. He was focused on Sabrina's voice. What the heck was she doing? And why did he still care?

"I've been really confused, and if I didn't know any better, I'd say I was under some kinda crazy spell lately," Sabrina said. "I had a lot of time to think about things, and I realized something this morning. Or last night. It doesn't matter… But I'm here to clear it up once and for all to the entire school and anyone listening. I am completely and totally head over heels in the most embarrassing and mushy way totally in love with the one you know as Robin Goodfellow, though you've probably heard me calling him Puck. He's totally the best prankster and the most amazing person ever, he's always saving my butt, I get -really- jealous whenever girls look at him, I don't think his brother is cuter, and I don't like anyone else. Puck is the most handsome guy ever, and yeah I'm lucky that he likes me at all. I love him and I'll say it as many times as I need to. There's no one else for me, and you can all laugh as much as you want, but I'm lucky as hell to have found love so young, and I can't think of anything else more ego-boosting but still true that I can say about him right now, but I freaking love him, pranks or not! Hear me? I love you, Puck!"

Several students blushed or giggled, and many broke into whispers.

Sabrina herself held the mic for the intercom, looking embarrassed and biting her lip. She hated doing things like that, but there, she'd done it. A confession he could have written himself, all from her own words. Her notorious dislike of PDAs was one of the reasons Puck enjoyed making her advertise so blatantly in the confessions in public.

Daphne stared at Sabrina - and then she broke out into a wide grin, her eyes shining happily. She gave Sabrina her best encouraging nod.

Puck's legs slipped off the desk, and he sat up straight, staring at the intercom with a look of amazement on his face. It was like the last week hadn't happened or mattered at all. He'd had to have been right all along. Sabrina had been under a spell, or Kerdy was right and she'd lost her mind. The important thing was, she was back to her normal self, and she'd just given a damn good confession to make it up to him.

And then he was grinning. He moved to stand up, ignoring the teacher and the rest of the class, and plotting the quickest route to the principal's office.

In her own classroom, Snow's students were trying to figure out why their teacher couldn't stop giggling.

Sabrina swallowed, looking to Daphne. Then she held the mic tighter. "I'm in love with you, Puck. No matter what."

She then turned the intercom off, looking to the window and then back to Daphne. "How do we get out of here before the principal breaks down the door?"

She could hear teachers trying to get through. "I mean, I bet I could take the blame by myself, but I don't know how to sneak you out."

Daphne was staring at the door with wide eyes. "I don't know," she said. "They're all out there..."

There was a tapping on the window, and Daphne turned to look.

Puck grinned at them from the other side, wings out behind him, his expression cocky. He'd decided that the fastest way to the principal's office was through the window.

"Puck!" Sabrina ran to the window, unlatching it and opening it. She didn't even wait for him to come in; she grabbed the front of his shirt, pushed herself up, and kissed him.

Puck wrapped his arms around her, half in the window and half out, as he kissed her back soundly. It was a kiss to make up for the lack of kisses lately, and he had no intention of letting that much time go by between kisses again.

The end result was Puck being pulled in through the window and falling on Sabrina, but she didn't stop kissing him. She was too happy. How could she have let Jeremy _near _her?

Puck reluctantly broke the kiss in order to breathe, and grinning down at Sabrina. "No matter what, huh?" he asked, repeating her words.

She blushed, looking up at him in embarrassment. "No matter what. And see? I didn't even wear makeup today."

She'd worn plain jeans and a simple blue t-shirt that day, no makeup, hair down.

"You look great," Puck said. He stole another quick kiss. "Now, I think the only way out of this place is through the window, yeah?" He doubted that Daphne could manage the door much longer.

"Well, take Daphne and go, I already said my name and stuff, so they know I did this," Sabrina said. "I'll have to take the punishment." She was blushing even more. He thought she looked great?

"No way, I'm not leaving you!" Daphne protested.

"Everyone heard Daphne's voice, too," Puck said. "Besides, since when do I leave you behind?"

"But then you'd have to explain how you got up here," Sabrina pointed out, kissing him again.

Puck thought about that for a moment after the kiss. "I guess you're right," he said. "All right, you win this one." He took another kiss, then got up and helped her to her feet. "Come on, marshmallow."

"But you'll get detention," Daphne said, looking at Sabrina. She was blushing from the amount of kisses she'd just seen.

"I think I'll live," Sabrina grinned. "Thanks Daphne, I couldn't have done it without you." She smoothed her hair and clothes now that she was standing.

Daphne smiled, and then hugged Sabrina tightly. "I like you and Puck together best." she said.

Sabrina hugged her back. "Me too. Maybe we should look up love potions and crazy spells when we get home, cause I don't know what's been going on with me lately. I'm sorry, Daphne."

"It's okay," Daphne said, "I forgive you." She smiled at her sister, then went to take Puck's hand so that he could get her out.

"If he used a spell on you, he's dead," Puck said cheerfully. Nothing was going to break his good mood. He looked at Sabrina, picking up Daphne. "See you at detention."

"What do you mean see me at detention?" Sabrina asked in confusion. She couldn't stop blushing.

Puck just grinned at her, before disappearing out the window with Daphne. He was feeling the urge to be _very_ annoying to his teachers that day. And what better way to kill time while waiting for Sabrina to be done with detention, than to be there, too?

Sabrina watched him go, then smiled to herself. She had a feeling Puck would be getting in trouble too.

The door burst open, and she held her hands up. "You caught me."

"Where's your sister?" One of the teachers demanded.

"I just pretended she was here--you can ask Mrs. Charming," Sabrina said coolly. "She'll tell you I did stuff like that all the time when my sister was in her class."

Another teacher looked around the room suspiciously. "Why would you pretend that your sister was here?" she asked.

"Creates confusion," Sabrina said simply.

They did not go easy on her. Her parents were called and she ended up with a month of detention with her first period teacher, Mr. Walker. Greeaat. He hated her already.

She didn't get a chance to see anyone for the rest of the day, and when school ended, she was shuffled from the principal's office to Mr. Walker's classroom for her detention.

Puck looked up from his desk, grinning broadly when he saw Sabrina come into the room.

He had systematically annoyed the hell out of every single one of his teachers - twice in some cases - until he had guaranteed himself several detentions. And he had had a heck of a lot of fun doing it.

Sabrina grinned when she saw him, walking over and sitting near enough to touch him.

"Don't fool around," Mr. Walker snapped at them. "Do your homework."

Puck winked at Sabrina, shifting his hand so that it brushed against hers while opening his notebook with his other hand.

She giggled softly and did the same. Then she shrugged. "Whoops. I forgot my books. "Can I look at yours, Puck?"

She scooted closer.

"Sure," Puck said, edging his own seat closer as well, and meeting her halfway. "I brought all of mine."

Sabrina smirked a bit, shifting close enough that their legs touched. "Not allergic to books anymore, eh?" she asked.

"I'm not really paying attention to the books," Puck said with a grin, pressing his leg against hers in response. They'd played footsie before, much to Henry's annoyance or Kerdy's embarrassment. Daphne still remained oblivious to it.

Sabrina grinned. But then her expression became troubled.

_'Puck', _she wrote on a piece of paper next to his desk. _'Do you think I really was under a spell?'_

Puck looked down at the paper, and then picked up his pencil. '_Maybe_,' he scrawled. '_You were acting pretty... odd, when you first met him.' _

_'It was odd,' _she wrote, eyes sad. _'Everything felt so normal even when I was saying those lies to you. That's what they were by the way, lies. Shut up. Anyway when he was going to kiss me again, I panicked... I'm glad you were there.' _

_'Me, too.'_ He averted his eyes suddenly in embarrassment, glancing towards the window as he wrote the next line. '_You deserve to be treated better than that._' Then he glanced back to see if she was reading or writing a response.

Her cheeks were flushed, and she looked away when she wrote her response. _'I love you.' _She added a cute little heart as well.

Puck grinned, then underlined her words, indicating his response was the same. He nudged her leg playfully with his underneath their desks.

He wrote another response. '_If it was a spell, that guy's pixie food.'_

Sabrina blushed more, then looked up with a grin.

She paused, then wrote again. _'Ya know I only let him kiss me those two times you saw?' _

He raised an eyebrow slightly. '_Really?_' Well, that saved him from wondering how many times that creep's lips had been on Sabrina's. Ugh.

_'Really,' _she wrote. She nudged him once with a grin.

Puck grinned back at her. '_Good. I was gonna have to replace each of those with one of mine, anyway. Now I'll just have to add on some extra._' He paused, tapping his pen on the paper, then added, '_to make up for my withdrawal._'

Sabrina rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. _'I'm just worried. I'm so tired of people influencing me with stuff... I just want to be me. My head hurt so badly last night, but when I woke up this morning everything seemed so clear. I was nervous that it wouldn't work out. Now everything feels perfect. But… Still, what if people are screwing with me? I really just like being me, without the magic or spells.'_

'_I like you being you,_' Puck said. '_We'll figure something out.'_ He dropped the pen and grabbed her hand, squeezing it once.

Sabrina turned to him.

"No touching you two!" Mr. Walker snapped.

Sabrina scowled, but took her hand back.

Puck rolled his eyes in Mr. Walker's direction. Then he drew a small, quick, very bad picture of Mr. Walker being attacked by pixies, with a question mark next to it.

Sabrina glanced over, then snorted laughter.

She quickly disguised it by breaking into coughs, writing _'I wish XD no.' _next to the drawing.

Puck immediately responded with a large frowny face, but he was grinning. It was awesome having Sabrina back to normal.

Sabrina smiled. They continued to chat on paper and with nudges until detention was over.

As soon as they made it outside, she reached out and grasped his hand. The moment her hand was in his, he brushed his thumb over her knuckles.

"Man, I thought we'd never get out of there," Puck said as he held on to her hand in return. "So how long did you get detention for, anyway?"

"A month," Sabrina cringed. "So... Was that embarrassing declaration enough to make up for what I said to you?"

Puck grinned. "Oh yeah," he said. "I know you want me. All that mumbo-jumbo about a normal boyfriend… Pfft. Why go normal when you can have a King? And the declaration? I've got it memorized."

"Are you serious?" She groaned.

"Yep," Puck said. "I haven't decided what I'm going to do with it yet. Maybe write it down and frame it." He looked at her gleefully.

"Why would you do that to me," she complained. But she still smiled at him. "Hey Puck? I meant what I said, you know. The whole thing about loving you no matter what."

"Really?" Puck asked, looking at her and still grinning.

"Yeah, promise," Sabrina said, squeezing his hand once.

An odd look crossed his face, the cocky grin turning more serious. "Ya know… My kind take promises really seriously. I never mentioned it before, but in Faerie, a promise is really binding. It really means something. I've seen humans break promises all the time, that kind of thing never happens in Faerie."

"Really?" Sabrina asked curiously. "I didn't know that." She paused, then looked to him. "I still promise, Puck. I love you no matter what."

She even squeezed his hand once again.

Puck looked at her for several moments, then smirked, cocky. He squeezed her hand once. "I love you no matter what," he echoed. "It's a promise, Grimm."

She stuck her tongue out at him, feeling embarrassed again. "Yep. So if either of us is off swooning over some freak, it's gotta be a spell or blackmail."

"Hey guys!"

Sabrina turned to see Kerdy running up, a smile on his face. She smiled back, feeling a lot better.

"Here," He held out two braided string bracelets to them.

"...Is this..." Sabrina trailed off, looking at the bracelets and blinking. She had stopped wearing the string from when she had been blind, deaf, and mute. So had Puck. She'd thrown them out. Even though it had been over a year, the memory had been so vivid and important to her that any time she saw a similar string, she thought of the one they'd used. But it was no doubt, the same string this time. It was a bit bigger, about half an inch thick now from the intricate braid.

Puck looked at the bracelets in surprise. "You know," he said, recognizing it as well, "I was wondering where that went." He hadn't gotten rid of his knowingly, but he had lost track of it.

"Daphne had it when you two were having your issues. She was really depressed you know. Anyway remember how I said I wasn't Curdy from The Goblin and the Princess fairytale, and how it wasn't real? K well, I'm wrong," Kerdy said. "My mom knows Princess Irenee or however you say her name. She had a ring that was enchanted with magical string to help her find her way home. Mom had some of the string in her jewelry box, and gave it to me. So I cut it in half and put it in each bracelet. I tested it and guess what?" He pulled the bracelets away from each other, then squeezed one of them a little.

A thin, glittery spider silk-thin cord appeared between the two bracelets.

"Woah!" Sabrina said. "Is that real?"

Puck leaned forward, peering at the string between the bracelets. "Now _that's_ interesting," he commented. "So that thing keeps the bracelets connected."

"Not exactly," Kerdy said. "Put your hand through it."

Sabrina put her hand through the glittery thread, which vanished if it didn't catch the light correctly. "Woah, it's not actually there..."

"It leads them to each other," Kerdy said. "If it's possible. But I don't think it's ever been tangible. And we can only see it because the bracelets aren't being worn. I think if you two put these on, you two will be the only ones who can see it."

Puck looked at the bracelets, tilted his head to one side. "Well, all right then," he said, holding out his hand. "Gimme one."

Sabrina bapped him upside the head gently. Then she looked to Kerdy. "Thank you Kerdy."

He grinned, putting one on Sabrina's right wrist, and one on Puck's left wrist. Those were the hands that normally connected.

Puck turned the bracelet idly on his hand. "So...just gotta squeeze it or something, and we're supposed to be able to see the connection?" He experimented, squeezing his bracelet the way that Kerdy had done.

The cord appeared.

Sabrina lifted her wrist to look at it, yelping when it drew Puck closer, their heads nearly bonking. "What?" She reached out and grasped the cord, gasping when she felt it solidly.

Confused, Kerdy moved his hand through the cord. "Huh. I guess you two can feel it."

"And apparently when it shows up it likes us to be together," Puck said, laughing at how quickly their heads had almost hit.

Sabrina squeezed her bracelet, watching the cord vanish.

Then she moved away, squeezed it, and tugged her wrist close when the cord appeared.

It tugged Puck closer again.

"Awesome!" Sabrina said.

"Cool," Puck said. He looked at Sabrina mischievously. "Now whenever I need to find you, I can get you easily."

She looked at him warily. "That works both ways, try and fly away, I have a leash now."

Kerdy couldn't help but laugh.

Now Puck looked just as wary. "Leash?" he repeated. He eyed the bracelet. "Maybe we should, uh, talk about how we're gonna use this."

"One more test," Sabrina said. She walked to Kerdy, standing behind him. She squeezed the bracelet.

The cord went through him, but didn't hurt him. Until she tugged Puck into him and knocked their heads together. "Oh whoops."

"Ow," Kerdy stumbled, rubbing his head. Puck was close to his height.

Puck rubbed his own head, wincing. "So the bracelet doesn't make it able to go through things," he said. "Good to know. _Ow._" He gave Sabrina his best puppy-dog eyes.

"Sorry," Sabrina grinned sheepishly, moving close and kissing him on the forehead.

Puck's arms wrapped around her waist, and he tugged her closer to him. "Gotcha," he teased.

She blushed, but didn't protest the hug. The previous week felt like a bad, hazy, clove and honey-flavored dream. She didn't want to think about it.

Puck looked at Kerdy. "So, uh...I think I'm supposed to thank you for these," he said.

"Don't worry about it," Kerdy said. "I'm just glad I can help. And I'm glad you two are back together and no longer awkwardly freaking me out."

Sabrina leaned against Puck and closed her eyes, hiding her embarrassed blush. She wanted to go hide somewhere. "We should get home, I'm tired."

Puck nodded. "And I'm getting hungry," he said, his stomach growling to emphasize this.

As they turned to leave, a Spanish accent made Sabrina freeze.

"I don't think so."

She whirled around to see that Jeremy had gotten behind Kerdy, one arm around his neck and the other pinning an arm behind his back.

"Hey!" Kerdy struggled, startled. His eyes had widened; Jeremy was stronger than he looked, and Kerdy felt extremely overpowered.

Puck's eyes widened in surprise. "What the heck do you think you're doing?" he demanded, bristling at the sight of Jeremy. He hadn't had a run in with the other boy all day. While Sabrina's confessions and kisses had calmed him enough to put his annoyance for Jeremy on hold, seeing the other boy (manhandling a friend, no less!) just made him feel rage.

"Don't move," Jeremy said. "Or I will kill him." His eyes glinted ice blue as a smirk curved his lips.

Sabrina gasped, her eyes widening at the color change. She'd never noticed before, how similar Jeremy's eyes were to Klarissa's. She'd hoped the ex-witch would have left her alone after Puck's pranks, so she hadn't even been on her guard. But there was no mistaking now that Jeremy had to be related. Their eyes were almost identical.

"What do you want?" Sabrina asked, her voice even.

His smirk only grew.

***.*.*.*.***

**A/N:**

**Sky: **I really hope the flow didn't suck, I got angry when **Word closed my file and refused to save it. **If you see horrid typos or grammar mistakes, lemme know and I'll fix 'em XD It's almost 3 AM and I had to read it while yawning and saying 'ohcrap I told ZOMBIEfiedCrayons I'd have this up by 2!'

**Fun facts: **The 'Preence Caspian' reference is to… Well, the movie version of Prince Caspian. For best results, flip hair and try to sound sexy when you say it. It's a crackup, and I couldn't stop making fun of it.

The Goblin and the Princess is a very cute cartoon movie about a princess named Irenee with a magic ring full of… string. And a singing boy named Curdy.

This story gets its title from the "No Matter What" promise, which will be important later on.

No Kerdies were harmed in the making of this chapter :3

**Anyway R/R ^^ Luvvies, and thank you for reading!**

P.S. Thank you grimmgirl and ZOMBIEfiedCrayons, I have fixed the 'that they' typo! Hopefully... And hopefully there aren't anymore! ^^ Also, Kerdy and Daphne were not necking, people XD Chill out. It's a friendship.

Fail+1. Thank you dog9girl and LylaDomae, I have fixed the 'weak' problem. As for 'queue VS cue'...

Edit: Ayns got owned in the face and now knows it's 'cue'. I'm going with the flow and changing it. ^^;


	12. The Third Kiss

**EDIT: Sky: Re-Added scene skips.**

**A/N:**

**Sky: **Sorry for the delay on this one. A LOT of the story had to be tweaked or explained better, and overall I'm not too thrilled with how it turned out. There are certain parts I still adore, but I was so tired from work I felt like I typed at a slightly lower skill level than an intoxicated monkey… Hopefully I'm just being hard on myself and you guys'll like it XD Or Ayns' writing blew mine out of the water so well you won't notice. ^^

Keepin' it short and sweet, calm down about Kerdy and Daphne, people. They're just friends right now. As for any supposed OOCs, well, the characters have to grow up. So if it's a matter of maturity, can't help it. They can't keep acting 11 for the rest of their lives :P

Also intentional OOCs (as in spells or goblin mirror shards) are… intentional :3 So yeah. And the story will always focus more on Sabrina and Puck, so extra characters might not get a lot of screen time, sorry :/

Special thanks to our wonderful reviewers, SORRY it's taking us so long to get our act together ^^; Hearts to: **princessofodd, Trickster Queen464, Schadenfreude62, Queen Lucy of Narnia, minus your plus, obsessedwithbooks, Amelia, BoOkLuvEr303, Dramaqueenruling, grimmgirl, ZOMBIEfiedCrayons, dog9girl, LylaDomae, Twilight0, Lara D, msjezzi-bella, BlueJeans12, jabberwockyandthevorpalblade, A CertainPeanutButterSandwich, ladedalada, silent-entrance, Viva-Musica, bobbie jo, BIGSisGrimmfan, Tanglenight, aliceinblack, Stark X Zoey, M. Gleason, RainbowofSmiles16, **and **emaleelilac ^^**

Also (Interrupted my A/N because a spider was crawling on me and I just flipped the hell out… Um… Oh yeah) the language and content is going to get more colorful. If you don't like it, please don't read. :X You were warned. And ohay I think we broke 100k in the story with this update XD (Includes our insane A/Ns tho.)

***.*.*.*.***

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter Twelve: The Third Kiss _**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

"What the heck do you want?" Sabrina demanded, infuriated by the smirk. A smirk was not an answer!

"Funny you should ask. Just freedom," Klarissa said from behind Puck and Sabrina. "We're getting out of this place."

"You." The word hissed its way out of Puck's mouth as he turned to look at her. "You know, it's this kind of attitude that got the Everafters stuck behind this barrier in the first place. You're just proving a point."

"Shut up, Trickster," Klarissa said, glowering. "I never had a choice. I was born here. Jeremy was simply trapped here because he got drunk and wandered home."

Jeremy shrugged, but his smirk was more of a scowl now. He tightened his grip on Kerdy.

"But I thought..." Sabrina looked at Jeremy. "You're an Everafter?"

He gave a small grin. Then he moved closer with Kerdy, who looked like he was in pain. "Walk with us."

"Like hell," Puck's free hand went to his pocket, where he had his flute.

"Puck, don't," Sabrina snapped, clutching his hand hard enough to bruise. "We don't know what that jackass can do, and he's got Kerdy!"

Puck scowled at her, really not liking the idea of having to go along with the coercion. "A King doesn't give in to ransom or hostage situations."

"Well a certain King _I _know better not do anything to get Kerdy killed or I'll never forgive him," Sabrina said, squeezing his hand once with flashing anger in her eyes.

If it hadn't been for the worry mixed in, Puck might have kept arguing with her. Then he sighed. "Fine, I give up." He squeezed her hand twice.

She relaxed a bit, looking back to Klarissa, Jeremy, and Kerdy. She knew Puck wasn't going to just let them get away with anything, but he wasn't going to jump in and fight until Kerdy was safe. Good.

Puck held Sabrina's hand firmly. There didn't seem to be a point in arguing at this point - not until they knew more. "So which one are you?" Puck asked Jeremy. First chance he got, he was sending pixies right up the cocky Spanish-spouting boy's nose.

Jeremy chuckled. "Just walk," he commanded, guiding them to the woods.

Sabrina was tense, eyes on Klarissa. She didn't like the woods much. She'd gotten her butt kicked badly there, among other things, and while she'd been on bed rest… She'd read a story called "Into the Woods", and it had scared the living crap out of her.

Puck let his irritation show clearly as he held Sabrina's hand and followed Jeremy and Klarissa - and Kerdy the hostage – with no way to get them out of there.

He'd known Jeremy couldn't be trusted. He hadn't actually thought the guy was an Everafter though.

Three others were waiting in a small clearing with very large trees around. Two girls and one other boy, all with the same eyes.

Sabrina and Puck were yanked apart, and then Jeremy turned Kerdy, punching him and knocking him to the ground. At first, Sabrina struggled hard, but the area turned cold, and it got harder to focus. The scent of honey and clove was so thick that she felt dizzy.

Even Puck had been subdued, unable to get to his flute with one of the boys and one of the girls holding him in place with freakish strength.

Kerdy stumbled, pushing himself up. His eyes widened. "Karly, Jenessa, Kelvin?"

They ignored him. The taller girl, Jenessa, was the one holding Puck's left arm, while Kelvin restrained his right. Sabrina managed to snap out of her daze just long enough to lash out at the closest person.

She'd already gotten Jeremy with a good right hook by the time Karly grabbed her again, forcing her to stand still.

Puck threw his weight to the sight, struggling and attempting to break free of Kelvin and Jenessa. "What the hell?" he demanded. "Get your hands off me! Do you have any idea who I am? Kerdy, do you know these jerks?"

Kerdy tried to get up, but roots from the trees jerked from the ground, trapping him down there. They got Puck's legs and arms too.

"Klarissa's brothers and sisters!" Kerdy exclaimed, wincing when the ground rippled, more roots breaking through to hold him in place. "Jeremy's the one I never met!"

"You should have handled it easily," Kelvin said in disapproval.

"I almost had it," Jeremy shrugged.

"Dream on, moron," Puck taunted Jeremy. "You only think you almost had it." His legs and arms might have been restrained for the moment, but his mouth certainly wasn't. Not that he knew what the 'it' that Jeremy claimed to almost have was. He could only assume it had to do with Sabrina. And he really hated that he couldn't reach his flute anymore.

"Won't matter now," Jeremy walked over to Sabrina, who was struggling harder. The roots were around her legs, stopping her from kicking him, and the others had her arms restrained.

Jeremy slapped Sabrina very suddenly and very harshly. But mostly in a degrading way.

She gasped, more startled than hurt as her head snapped to the side.

Puck literally growled, straining against the roots holding him. How _dare_ that creep put his hands on Sabrina? "Get away from her," he said harshly. "You have no idea how bad of an idea that was."

"How hard is it to get a third kiss, really," Klarissa said dryly, ignoring Puck. "Even I could have done a better job."

Jeremy grasped Sabrina's chin, tilting her head upwards. "Not hard at all."

She cried out in revulsion, the sudden intense scent of honey swirling through her. The cloves made her dizzy. "Get your filthy hands off of me!" she managed to say, closing her eyes tightly.

"Sabrina!" Puck shouted. "Don't you dare…! Get away from her, you jackass!"

"And to think you even used that silly attraction talisman to make her fall in love with you at first sight. And you _still _failed," Karly taunted. "Even –I- can smell the honey. And… Ech. Cloves."

Jeremy growled wordlessly at her. Most Everafters knew that attraction talismans were banned. They caused too many problems, and authority ruled it as a date-rape type of item. The honey scent made the victim dizzy and easier to convince. The second scent was always unique to the one who used the talisman, but it had a numbing and enamoring effect. His had worked really well on Sabrina for the most part.

Sabrina's eyes snapped back open. "Attraction talisman? What the hell is that? I knew you must have done something! Like I'd ever go for a Prince Caspian wannabe like you! I'm SO sick of people playing with my head, I'm going to punch that smirk right off your ugly face!"

Puck, while still enraged, felt his eyes widen. An attraction talisman? Well, that explained it. It made even more sense, to go along with the perfectly logical explanation that Sabrina would never leave him unless a spell was involved—after all, he was the Trickster King, and so much cooler.

He strained against the bindings, becoming more and more irate each time. But the roots held fast—he couldn't get to her.

"I'm still not even sure how the Trickster broke the talisman," Klarissa said.

"That's where you're wrong," Kerdy said, struggling still. "He didn't break it."

"Liar," Jeremy said. "There's no other reason she would have turned down my kiss."

"How about because you're an ugly stupid jackass?" Sabrina demanded, using the insult Puck just had moments earlier, with a bit more flourish. "Don't touch me!"

"So glad we agree on that," Puck said, nodding to Sabrina. Then he looked at Kerdy. "What'dya mean, I didn't break it?"

"I mean the attraction talisman is still trying to force her to be in love with him and she still picked you," Kerdy said, strained. "Because I know for a fact you haven't been breaking any attraction talismans."

Before Sabrina could register that, Jeremy shrugged. "Oh well."

He forced her into a kiss, ignoring her cry of revulsion. She squeezed her eyes shut.

Puck's gaze snapped back to Jeremy and Sabrina, and his anger was nearly tangible. "_Get your mouth off of her!_" he shouted. Why was Jeremy trying to kiss her? Sabrina didn't want it!

Sabrina's eyes flew open suddenly. The color flashed right out of them, and her body went rigid.

Jeremy pulled back, looking at her calmly. He regarded her as if she had no real worth; she was just part of a plan to him.

She slumped then, a soft sparkling aura leaving her and gathering into Jeremy's hand. It was a light blue color, tinged with an orange and red glow.

Puck's eyes widened, watching Sabrina slump, and the aura appear in Jeremy's hand.

"What did you do?" Puck couldn't stop staring at the aura - knowing that it was Sabrina's. "You...you ugly, slime-filled mole skank-cretin, what did you _do?_"

His mind was racing, too many thoughts jumbled up in one. The fact there really had been a spell on Sabrina, the fact that she'd overcome it without breaking it... which meant that the talisman would have still been working because it hadn't been broken, did that have something to do with what Jeremy had just done?

And first and foremost, what _had_ Jeremy just done, and what had happened to Sabrina?

Kerdy paled, watching as they split the aura among them. He wasn't positive, but he had a pretty good idea what they'd done.

"Let's go," Klarissa smirked. She turned on her heel, and the group of them headed away. For the barrier.

The roots pulled away from Sabrina. She fell to the ground softly as they retracted, body completely still and pale.

Puck felt himself go numb, and he strained against the roots that were binding him. "No," he said. "No. No. Grimm. Sabrina. _Get up!_" He clenched his fists, digging his nails in hard enough that they drew blood, putting all of his strength into his attempt to get free. Sabrina wasn't moving. And Klarissa and her siblings were getting away with her aura!

The roots continued to restrain Puck, but it seemed with Klarissa and the others getting farther away, the roots were weak enough that he could probably destroy them somehow.

Kerdy had stopped struggling, eyes wide. "Puck, these roots only restrain living creatures," he whispered. Sabrina didn't move or even shift. She didn't breathe.

"Then they're _defective_," Puck said fiercely. And when he felt the roots finally began to give, he gave another good yank, and managed to get his arm free. The moment it was, he tore himself free of the rest of the roots, staggering forward and catching himself.

His eyes were dark as he looked at the retreating figures. He pulled out his flute, brought it to his lips, and trilled.

"Stop them," he growled as his pixies began to gather. First a few...and then more, and more, and more, the pixies seeming to multiply into a cloud of fierce, twinkling lights. They hovered for a moment, and then as one shot, off after Klarissa and her siblings.

They had something that belonged to Sabrina - Puck was not letting them keep it.

The roots shuddered, and then lunged after Puck and the pixies. They weren't ready to let them go. Puck's wings extended and he leapt into the air, while several pixies broke off from the main force and went after the roots themselves. They clung to the roots, clawing and biting at them in a massive effort to keep them from getting anywhere near Puck.

The pixies were successful in destroying all the remaining roots, and then Kerdy was stumbling to Sabrina, laying her on her back and pulling her hand up to check her pulse. He paled again, his eyes going wide with confirmed horror. "No…"

"What?" Puck demanded from his position in the air, watching as the main force of pixies reached Klarissa and the others in the distance and set upon them, the root-fighters scrambling to catch up. Puck looked like he was focused on the pixies, but he was equally focused on Sabrina and Kerdy.

Kelvin looked up at the pixies, bored. He smirked, flicking his hand. A gust of icy wind rushed from his hand and slapped the pixies away without any problem.

"Puck," Kerdy said, his voice tense. "Get help. Get adults… get someone. She doesn't have a pulse!"

He pulled Sabrina up a bit, looking down at her limp body with tears burning his eyes. "We can't let them leave the barrier, but we need someone to help!"

Puck went rigid, his back straight and his wings spread out. Until that moment he had managed to avoid actual admittance that Sabrina was not simply unconscious.

His throat tightened. It felt like he couldn't breathe. Kerdy's words had thrown him for a loop, because he hadn't expected them. Sabrina was supposed to just be unconscious. Whatever they had taken from her, he was supposed to be able to get it back and then she'd be fine. She'd just…sleep, until then. That was how these fairy tales worked, right? The princess fell into an enchanted sleep and the prince was supposed to complete some task in order to wake her up. Not that Sabrina was exactly a princess, and Puck wasn't a prince—he was a King. But that was how it was supposed to work.

The princess wasn't supposed to stop breathing completely. She wasn't supposed to die. And the prince (or King) wasn't supposed to feel this helpless.

Helpless. Help. They needed help. They needed to get…help. Kerdy's words registered again—they couldn't let the others leave the barrier.

All at once the panic slid out, and was replaced by action. If he didn't act, he had the definite feeling that Sabrina was going to be lost to him forever. And damn it, no matter how much she got on his nerves or threw herself into danger, that was simply something that he refused to accept!

Puck placed his hand to his throat, pure faerie magic pulsing through, searching for his vocal cords.

"SHE DOESN'T HAVE A PULSE AND THEY'RE TRYING TO LEAVE THE BARRIER, WE NEED HELP!" he shouted, his voice echoing throughout all of Ferryport Landing.

He downed another cup of coffee, feeling jittery and edgy. He still maintained that he was not stalking Briar Rose, no matter what Sabrina said about it.

Tapping his fingers on the counter, Jake perked up with a grin. He and Briar had been exchanging glances for a long time, but there were complications in his plan to ask her out. Mainly nearly getting a wand in his eye or nose if he got too close.

He'd almost asked why they didn't buy her a stainless steel chastity belt... But then he remembered he needed them (them being Buzzflower and Mallobarb) to like him if he was going to be able to get more with Briar than a quick fling.

And while Jake was quite the ladies' man, he wasn't really looking for a quick fling. He wanted to make it work. Of course it helped that Briar Rose was what he and Daphne had called 'a smokin' hottie'.

Or maybe he'd used that phrase and Daphne had adopted it briefly. Oh well. He flashed a dazzling smile the moment he saw Briar again.

Briar glanced over in Jake's direction, and a pretty little blush spread over her cheeks. Every time he came into the coffee shop her attention was instantly drawn to him, and she found herself wishing that they could do more than simply exchange glances.

She wanted to talk to him - to have a real conversation. It certainly didn't matter to her that he was a Grimm. And whenever she looked at him, she just got the feeling that something could really work between them.

She finished surviving the current customer their coffee, and just happened to notice that Jake's cup was empty. And since this was a coffee shop, she headed over to him.

"Another cup?" she offered, giving him a brilliant smile.

"Yes please," Jake said, looking up at her since he was sitting. "I never get tired of your coffee, Briar Rose."

Briar blushed, and her smile didn't dim. "Would you like to try a different kind today?" she asked, brushing her hair back and tucking it behind her ear. The look she gave Jake was most definitely coy.

Mallobarb glanced over, and narrowed her eyes when she saw Jake talking to Briar.

"I think I'm through with trying different kinds," Jake said, eyes never leaving Briar. "In fact I think I'm content to stick with just one flavor for a long time. Maybe forever." He winked.

Buzzflower was looking over and scowling, her radar going crazy. Jake was talking about coffee...

Right?

Briar's eyes widened briefly, but her smile didn't dim. "Forever can be a long time," she said. "Are you absolutely certain you won't change your mind?"

Jake watched her for a moment, then smiled cheerfully. "Variety is overrated. Sometimes spicing up the same flavor over and over is better."

"You know what, Mr. Grimm?" Briar's expression was gentle. "I think I agree with you. That does sound much better."

Mallobarb looked at Buzzflower. She coudln't tell if they were talking about coffee. She coudln't tell if they needed to interfere.

"Please," Jake said, reaching out to touch her hand. "Call me Jake."

Buzzflower twitched. "Should we kill him?" she whispered to Mallobarb, clutching one of the cleaning rags.

Briar smiled at him. "All right," she said softly, "Jake." It was clear that she was far more interested in him than serving coffee at the moment.

Mallobarb scowled. "I don't think they're discussing coffee anymore," she siad.

"I can make it look like an accident," Buzzflower said. "All I need is-"

Everyone in the coffee shop heard the shout. Several people looked confused, but Jake had gone tense. The words--and Puck's voice...

"Sabrina," Jake said, knocking over his chair in his haste to stand.

Briar's eyes went wide - there was no mistaking the meaning behind the words. She looked at Jake. "Jake...!"

Even Mallobarb was no longer quite as focused on Jake's imminent death when she heard Puck's voice, and she looked at Buzzflower.

Buzzflower didn't waste time. She grasped Mallobarb's hand, and the two burst from the coffee shop, rushing to the source and not bothering to cover up their magic.

Jake looked back at Briar, eyes filled with worry. "I need to go."

"I'll come with you," Briar said promptly. Nevermind the fact that there were only three of them running the shop - the shop would be there when she got back.

He didn't bother to stop and question her, just taking her hand and guiding her as he ran from the coffee shop. He didn't have time to celebrate his progress with his dream girl. Not when there was a good chance his niece was badly injured or... dead.

***.*.*.*.***

Klarissa spun around, tensing at the sound of Puck's shout. That would draw too much attention, and many of the people who heard it had ways of travelling fast. She narrowed her eyes. Then she glared in Puck's direction and grabbed onto Jeremy. "Run."

They sprinted from the area, heading for the barrier. If they could just make it out of the barrier, they'd be safe. Everafters wouldn't be able to follow.

There was a snarl that seemed to come from all around the five of them without warning.

And then a figure stood in front of them, between them and the barrier. He was in shadow at first, a large, muscled snarling figure that exuded a pure aura of anger.

He could smell Sabrina on these five. It wasn't just that they smelled like her - they smelled of her. They smelled as if they were her, but Mr. Canis knew otherwise. There was only one Sabrina Grimm - and her scent was not supposed to be mixed with death. In the instant that he had heard Puck's amplified shout every grip of control that he had maintained over the Wolf had torn.

He stepped forward, coming out of the shadow, snarling at the five of them as he clenched his fists tightly.

"Shit!" Kelvin exclaimed, backing up. He held up his hand, frost shooting out at Mr. Canis immediately. It just slid off his fur.

Puck dropped down to the ground beside Kerdy and Sabrina, dropping to his knees next to Sabrina. He stared down at her, every muscle in his body tight and his wings trembling. No matter which why he tried to play it, he could not deny what Kerdy had said. Sabrina had no pulse. She wasn't breathing.

Kerdy picked Sabrina up, trembling. "Sabrina…" It was very hard for him to hold back the tears. He didn't make friends very easily, but Puck, Sabrina, and Daphne were really important to him. The idea that he might lose any one of them was shaking him hard, leaving a hollow feeling of fear in his heart. He raised his head and looked to Puck. "What do we do?"

"The old man'll keep those four from getting out," Puck said, voice shaking a touch. He had heard the Wolf's howl, and had counted on him to be one of the first ones there. Puck reached out, taking Sabrina from Kerdy. There was a fierce look on his face, and his hold on Sabrina was firm as he took charge of the situation. "Come on."

When they reached the place where Mr. Canis had stopped Klarissa and her brothers, it was to find that he had already subdued the five of them - clothes were torn, skin was scratched, hair was mussed, and Klarissa's wig lay like a limp rag on the ground. A rope had come from somewhere, and was tied tightly around all five siblings, binding them together and making it impossible for them to move. And Mr. Canis held onto the rope, growling at them with burning eyes.

And he wasn't alone with - other Everafters had gathered, responding to Puck's shout, though it had been Mr. Canis alone who had taken the five siblings. Any of the others that had arrived were magic-users, and most were wary of the Wolf. Thankfully, it seemed the nature of the emergency was keeping the Wolf's more violent nature pushed back.

Kerdy's expression was soft and grim when they arrived. Anyone who saw the three could tell that one of them would never be opening their eyes again. Sabrina's still body was still a little battered, pale and limp in Puck's arms. Her eyes were closed, lips just a little parted while her hair swished.

"Oh!" The gasp came from one of the random Everafters who had come to help. There had been many things they had expected to see, and the oldest Grimm girl in such a state was not one of them. There was no mistaking that she was dead, and that the cause had been one or all of the tied up group. Buzzflower and Mallobarb had been two of the Everafters who had responded the fastest, and they wore identical expressions of solemn worry.

Klarissa snarled indignantly, her short hair buzzed and ugly. "Let us go!"

Karly seemed just as angry, unable to get any of her magic to help with so many others there. Her hair was short on one side, long on the other, because Mr. Canis' claws had snipped it and almost taken her head off in the struggle.

"Shut up," snarled Mr. Canis, putting his face close to Klarissa's. He bared his fangs, snarling fiercely.

Buzzflower was silent for several moments. Then she pulled out her wand and sent out a flare. It was one only Everafters would see, and it was a distress signal. Something that meant a terrible ordeal. While everyone had heard the distress cry, humans would draw their own conclusions. Everafters would now know it was serious.

The Everafters gathered swiftly, responding to Buzzflower's signal. They arrived at the same time, and with them came the only humans who would have gathered with Everafters. The Grimms.

Elvis let out a keening howl when he looked at Sabrina. She wasn't moving. She wasn't responding. She wasn't… breathing. He moved closer to Relda, whimpering.

Daphne arrived with Snow and William, her eyes wide the moment that she saw her sister. She immediately stopped and reached for the nearest hand, which happened to be Snow's, and clutched it tightly. "S-Sabrina…?" She stared at her sister. She had never seen her looking so…so lifeless. At first glance Daphne would have thought that Sabrina was sleeping, but there was a _wrongness_ about her. It was only after Daphne saw the look on Puck's face that she realized Sabrina's chest wasn't moving. She wasn't sleeping.

William had stopped by the self defense class to speak with Snow about a 'trip' they'd been planning. It was basically into the mirror to get away from responsibility for a while. The distress call had sounded while he'd been kissing Snow goodbye for the moment, and while Snow had rushed with Daphne, he had not rushed in front of her. Every instinct he'd had in him had told him to go first because of the danger, but he really was trying to let Snow be independent. And besides, she was Mrs. Charming… But he'd been divorced many times. While he knew Snow was the one, the only Princess that mattered to him, a part of him was still wary.

Veronica stopped next to Henry, eyes growing wide. They had both used forgetful dust and run from their jobs, straight to the source.

"Sabrina?" Henry stared at his oldest daughter, lying in Puck's arms so lifelessly.

"Sabrina?" Veronica whispered, echoing her husband fearfully.

Jake's grip tightened on Briar Rose, from where he was holding her hand. He was so stunned by the reality of what they were seeing that he didn't even know how to react. Even William Charming had frozen briefly when he'd reached the scene. He swiftly cupped Snow's elbow, wrapping his arm around her.

Snow turned her head slightly and for a moment, pressed her face into William's shoulder. Then she looked back, hugging Daphne as the little girl could only stare wide-eyed at her older sister. Briar turned and wrapped her arms around Jake, pressing her face against his chest.

Kerdy looked over. The Snow Queen had arrived at this point, along with Gerda and Kai. Every Everafter or Grimm who had gathered had used some way to arrive within moments, even if it was just running at top speed.

"Sh… She doesn't have a pulse," Kerdy spoke, voice hoarse. "Klarissa and her siblings, they… They did something. They took something from her. They were going to leave the barrier, they… They…" he trailed off and shuddered, a little choked up. "Jeremy made her kiss him-something about a third kiss…"

Buzzflower was silent. A spell, clearly. And a bad one.

"They took her soul," Ilitha said, a little surprised. Kerdy shuddered. "And her life force."

Henry clenched his fists so hard that he drew blood, enraged and horrified at the sight of his energetic little girl in such a state. And then he looked at Ilitha. His expression was tight. In the time since they had moved permanently back to Ferryport Landing, he had coped with the Everafter aspect. But the sight of his daughter, so still… Hearing Ilitha's words…

He looked at Ilitha. "They did what?" His voice was tense.

Relda pressed her hand against her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes. She could scarcely believe that this was happening. It didn't seem possible. Sabrina… And she couldn't tell what Puck was thinking. It had become impossible to read his expression, and he hadn't said a word since he and Kerdy had arrived.

Kai put his hands on Gerda's shoulders, his eyes on them. Kerdy's older brothers were there as well, arriving with their parents. The oldest, Forse, had his father's coloring with dark brown hair and eyes. Next to him were their twin sons, as fair-haired as their mother and completely identical. The younger twin reached for his brother's hand, looking at Kerdy. Their little brother was the sweetest of them all. And Sabrina Grimm had been his friend.

Still trembling, Kerdy wiped his eyes. He had a bruise on his jaw from where Jeremy or his brother Kelvin had hit him, clothes ripped a bit from the roots that had restrained them. He shivered and looked to his family, then looked away in shame. By Everafter standards, he was just a baby. Forse was generations older.

Garret was quiet as he squeezed his younger twin's hand. Kerdy had always been afraid of Ilitha and her family. Especially because of how many times Klarissa had tried to go after him. Nevermind that Klarissa had first tried for Forse, well over a generation before Kerdy had been born. It was obvious that he'd gotten smacked around a bit, too.

"Oh Kerdy, Sabrina," Gerda murmured, stepping forward.

William straightened, giving Snow a sudden squeeze. Then he stepped forward. "Ilitha," he said quietly. "Can it be reversed?"

"Yes," Ilitha said. "But not by my hand, or any other's present. Only the ones who cast this spell can undo it."

"We're not going to," Jeremy hissed. "Why do you care, traitor, she's a Grimm."

Mr. Canis let out another snarl, twisting the rope so that it dug into Jeremy's arms. He did not appreciate the dismissal of Sabrina's life or importance just for her being a Grimm.

Veronica moved to Puck and Sabrina, touching her daughter's cheek. "What… What exactly happened?" she whispered, still keeping calm only on the belief that they might still save Sabrina.

William looked over, also wanting to know. Puck looked over to Jeremy, and his eyes narrowed into a glare at him. His pixies were fluttering around the gathering, and when he looked at Jeremy they fluttered even greater.

"Last week or so was the first time we met Jeremy," Puck said, his glare never diminishing. "He was pretending to be a human kid at the school. She took one look at him and started fawning all over him -" He paused, tightened his arms around Sabrina. "Jackass."

"Sabrina was acting really un-Sabrina-like," Daphne said, her voice shaking a little from where she was holding onto Snow.

"It was an attraction talisman," Kerdy said softly, ignoring the startled looks and sounds. "He put it on her to cast whatever spell he needed to do. He needed to kiss her three times. But Sabrina… even while under the talisman… she went back to Puck. She cared-cares about him that much."

Then he winced from his own shame. "We were walking home, I was giving Puck and Sabrina the bracelets I made them… Jeremy just showed up, he used me as a hostage to make us go to the forest."

William remained silent, waiting for the story to continue. He clenched his jaw. It wasn't so much that he cared for Sabrina Grimm, but illegal talismans and magic in his town? Endangering his Snow? Inexcusable.

And besides. Snow cared for Sabrina Grimm. That meant William Charming also had to.

"Then the rest of them showed up, and we found out Jeremy wasn't the innocent human he claimed to be - not that I believed for a second the asshole was." Puck wasn't bothering to censor himself - if Daphne wanted to know the words later he'd explain for her. "They restrained us. I would have taken them all down, but Grimm told me not to. She didn't want Kerdy getting hurt."

When he stopped speaking for a moment, it was because he was looking back down at Sabrina. It wasn't until Relda prompted him with a gentle, "And then?" that he continued. Kerdy was staring at the ground, feeling even more horrible.

"The bastard kissed her," Puck seethed.

"It did something," Kerdy whispered. "She just… Fell. And this sparkling aura left her, and they split it."

"To leave the barrier," Ilitha said, looking to her children. "It's as if they are Grimms."

"How do we reverse it?" Veronica asked in a quiet, cold voice.

"We're not reversing it, Grimm bitch," Klarissa snapped.

Veronica straightened. Then she turned and walked up to Klarissa. "Snow, please cover Daphne's ears and turn her away."

Henry looked at his wife expectantly. He knew her best - and he knew that these children were going to regret crossing Veronica Grimm's path. He was clinging to the hope that someone would be able to _make _Klarissa and the others give back Sabrina's soul. His daughter wasn't permanently dead…

A few Everafters tensed, ready to step in. But William raised a hand to stop them. He was allowing this. Daphne looked at her mother in confusion, but Snow calm placed her hands over Daphne's ears, blocking out any sounds, and then turned her so that Daphne's face was pressed against her stomach.

She nodded to Veronica. "Go ahead," she said.

"You're an Everafter," Veronica said calmly. "You'll live a very long time. You already have. But you see, you've crossed the wrong Grimm Bitch. And I'm going to find your pain tolerance if you don't give me back my daughter."

"Tch. Go to hell," Kelvin muttered disrespectfully.

Ilitha walked over before anyone else could say anything. She raised one hand, and all of them shuddered. "I will allow this. No mother wishes the death of her child. The learning however… I feel it will be appropriate."

"Mother," Klarissa paled. "What are you doing?"

"Slowing down your time so that you may use the pain and experience wisely."

"Wait!" Jeremy cried. "Not that!"

"What is she doing?" Jake asked in confusion. He tore his eyes from Sabrina, looking to the mass of Everafters that had gathered. If he wasn't sure that they'd be able to save Sabrina by this point, he may have broken down.

"Slowing down their time implies that each second we experience will last lifetimes for them," Buzzflower answered, since she and Mallobarb had moved closer to Briar. "If they feel pain in that state, it will last… Well, a long time."

"Oh," Jake shuddered. "She's so creepy. It's kinda awesome."

Ilitha looked to her children with impassive eyes. "Then you will undo what you have done."

Veronica cracked her knuckles, making Klarissa shrink back. She was at a disadvantage; all of her siblings still had their magic.

"Know that you will not leave the barrier even if you find that you physically can. I will imprison you all here myself," Ilitha promised, raising one hand to begin the process. "I do not condone this behavior."

"Fine. FINE," Jeremy snapped, struggling in his ropes. He closed his eyes, letting his mouth fall open. One by one, they all agreed, and a sparkling aura collected from each of them, glittering in the air like a dust cloud of sparkles. It re-formed into the light blue glow of Sabrina's aura, the fiery edges coiling around it like a cage of flames. It hovered, slowly trying to guide itself back to Sabrina and hesitating, as if getting lost.

Snow let Daphne turn back around then, and Daphne let out a soft gasp at the sight of the aura. It felt like her sister – like it was a piece of her. She stared at it, silently willing it to go over to Sabrina. She couldn't explain how it felt like Sabrina to her. It just did. The magic called to her; not in the same way that it called to Sabrina, but it called to her just the same. She could see more than the light blue base. She could see all of the rainbow colors locked within, dancing and twisting around each other to form emotions and traits.

It was as though Daphne could see each single trait— loyalty, stubbornness, strength… They entwined together perfectly. She clasped her hands in front of her, mesmerized by what she was seeing. But for some reason, no one else seemed to notice.

Sabrina was still in Puck's arms - he hadn't put her down. In fact, he looked like he was going to snap at anyone who tried to take her from him. His eyes were glued on the sparkling aura coming towards Sabrina, and took a step towards it, moving Sabrina closer.

The aura wiggled, glad that Puck had moved closer. Then it fluttered to Sabrina, settling over her. Many watched in awe and silence, wondering if it would work.

It melted back into Sabrina's body, filling her with warmth and life again. Sabrina's chest began to rise as she took in a deep breath, making Kerdy smile in relief. He wiped at his eyes. And then his eyes widened, because he should have realized what would happen next.

Sabrina's eyes fluttered open, and then she cried out in alarm. "GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF ME YOU CREEP!" Clearly, she couldn't remember anything happening past being kissed by Jeremy.

The crack of her fist coming up, connecting with Puck's face, was heard throughout the woods.

Veronica smiled tearfully, going to Henry and wrapping her arms around him. That was the daughter she knew and loved.

***.*.*.*.***

**A/N:**

**Sky: Our shortest chapter yet. Eep! **Ayns is passed out btw. It's 3:30 A.M. XD So her A/N (she told me) is:

**Ayns: **zzzzzzzzzzzz

**Sky: **I have something better though :D Enjoy. And please R/R! I hope you liked it. More will be explained soon bwahaha. Like Daphne's blossoming new power and Sabrina's inability to stop… dying. XD and stuff.

**(The following is a scene in real time between Sky and Ayns right before Sky tries to update the story)**

Aynsesa (3:09:36 AM): and be proud of me

**Aynsesa (3:09:39 AM): I put in one semicolon**

**Aynsesa (3:09:40 AM): lol**

**ssjSky59 (3:09:42 AM): rofl**

**Aynsesa (3:09:44 AM): and it was a new sentence**

**Aynsesa (3:09:49 AM): that didn't exist before**

**Aynsesa (3:09:52 AM): I think**

**ssjSky59 (3:10:06 AM): :O! You didn't mess with any of my sentences by adding a semicolon?**

**ssjSky59 (3:10:09 AM): ?**

**Aynsesa (3:10:09 AM): nope**

**ssjSky59 (3:10:10 AM): ...**

**ssjSky59 (3:10:12 AM): !**

**ssjSky59 (3:10:37 AM): holy dolphin butt cheeks**

**Aynsesa (3:10:39 AM): ...I just typed**

**Aynsesa (3:10:42 AM): ssjSky69**

**Aynsesa (3:10:49 AM): .**

**ssjSky59 (3:10:54 AM): ...**

**Aynsesa (3:11:02 AM): ...and the sun**

**Aynsesa (3:11:03 AM): is coming up**

**Aynsesa (3:11:05 AM): .;;**

**ssjSky59 (3:11:11 AM): lol at least you're not leaving for work in like 4 hours**

**ssjSky59 (3:11:12 AM): like I am**

**Aynsesa (3:11:12 AM): think you can handle it from here or do you still need me?**

**ssjSky59 (3:11:26 AM): I can handle it. This convo is going on our A/N XD**

**Aynsesa (3:11:29 AM): rofl**

**Aynsesa (3:11:31 AM): awesome**

**Aynsesa (3:11:35 AM): ^^/**

**Aynsesa (3:11:44 AM): let the readers see our insanity ^^ I'll see you when I wake**

**ssjSky59 (3:11:53 AM): kk XD I may call you**

**ssjSky59 (3:11:54 AM): g'night**

**Aynsesa (3:11:57 AM): nini**

**Aynsesa (3:12:01 AM): and to the readers**

**Aynsesa (3:12:04 AM): HAPPY FOURTH **

**Aynsesa (3:12:10 AM): /apssout**

**Aynsesa (3:12:11 AM): ...**

**Aynsesa (3:12:14 AM): /passout....**

**ssjSky59 (3:12:25 AM): ...**

**Aynsesa (3:12:35 AM): that kinna took away from the effect**

**Aynsesa (3:12:41 AM): but thank god there was a p in there**

**Aynsesa (3:12:45 AM): aaaaaaaaaaaaaanywyas**

**ssjSky59 (3:12:47 AM): .../assout?**

**ssjSky59 (3:12:50 AM): nise**

**Aynsesa (3:12:51 AM): lol**


	13. The Birds, The Bees, and The Wolf

**EDIT: Sky: Re-Added scene skips.**

**A/N:**

**Sky:** Amg! Sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry for the delay! We'll try to keep this A/N as short as we can with the updates so you can hurry to the story!

Let me start by saying almost all of this chapter was written from scratch in one day XD We've both been busy with work lately and haven't had much time. That and uh… We've been fighting with each other XD A lot. Over our Bleach RP. Eheheheh.

**Ayns:** Buuut enough about that… For a nearly-written-from-scratch-in-one-day, this chapter turned out rather nice in my opinion.

I'm particularly fond of Snow and Charming. They're incredibly cute. ^.^

**Sky:** XD Moving on. **WARNING! Content is getting more mature. (I say this every time…) Also this is more of a filler chapter again,** and special kudos to **minus your plus** for suggesting the sex-talk theme :D We decided to add that in.

**Ayns:** Sex-talks are extremely not easy to write, for the record. I dread the day I have to give one to my own kids. I don't think I was ever given one...

**Sky:** Note… She has no kids right now. Thanks again to everyone who nominated and/or voted for us for best fic, and/or sent us a message or review to tell us this is your favorite fic. You guys are awesome! ^^ And thank you to the awesome reviewers: **Zeorzia, msjezzi-bella, amethystdolphin, SweeneyToddLover26, silent-entrance, Amanda, Trickster Queen464, Lyla Domae, DRAMAQUEENRULING, BlueJeans12, no one, obsessedwithbooks, ladedalada, princessofodd, Twilight0, FaminaSG, dog9girl, minus your plus, Hippiegirl321995, aliceinblack, Viva-Musica, grimmgirl, bobbie jo, Tanglenight, Lara D, Puck And Sabriina Lover, Ascaisil, RainbowofSmiles16, curlscat, SnowsongIsAJaypawFan, KatieTwilight589, Aiden, **and **pixiwings00 ^^**

**Ayns:** Yes, thank you! ^^ And I'm so happy to finally get a word in on the A/Ns, I want to apologize terribly for falling asleep before the chapters get posted. I really do like putting in my two cents, but there were times when Sky and I woudln't even get to working on the chapter until after 10 pm because of how late she'd have to work.

Speaking of time, it's 1:50 AM (yes, we're insane), and I must go crash. ^^ Good night, and enjoy the chapter!

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter Thirteen: The Birds, The Bees, and The Wolf_**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

Snow covered her mouth. "Oh, my," she said, her eyes wide, as Briar blinked repeatedly. Relda was hiding her smile, relief flooding through her at the sight. Most of the women seemed amused by Sabrina's reaction—a few of the men just looked confused.

Kerdy's family was not exempt. Rae blinked, looking at Garrett with wide eyes - he didn't know the Grimms, and so the fact that Sabrina had just off and slugged Puck shocked him.

"OW!" Puck shouted, dropping Sabrina without hesitation and cupping his nose, his eyes watering from the impact of her strike.

Sabrina landed on her butt, yelping loudly. Then she winced and looked around. "You dropped me!" She didn't seem to understand she'd punched Puck in the face. "Ow!"

Daphne's eyes lit up. "Sabrina!" she said happily, realizing with a start that her sister was back - and back to normal! Because that was a definite Sabrina reaction. She looked at her parents, grinning broadly and watching as Henry smiled with relief. It was only the fact that Sabrina could be brought back that had kept him from completely going off the deep end.

Puck looked at Sabrina, blinking to clear the tears. "You punched me!" he protested, still cupping his nose. "Ow!"

Jake burst out laughing, hugging Briar and swinging her around happily. "Sabrina's back!"

Veronica smiled down at her daughter, and then made her way to Daphne and Snow. William was already speaking with the authorities (All two of the ones who had come) on what he would do with the five who had hurt Sabrina.

Daphne giggled, hugging Snow tightly, and then her mother. She was absolutely ecstatic that Sabrina was okay, and she gave a little hop to prove it. At that action, Snow laughed, smiling down at her affectionately.

Relda reached up and wiped at her eyes, and Henry put his hand on his mother's shoulder. Then together they glanced at Mr. Canis - who was still focused on restraining the five siblings until the police were ready to take them away.

Veronica picked Daphne up, kissing her hair. She'd let Sabrina and Puck have their moment. Sabrina seemed to have just realized exactly what she had just done.

"I… I hit you?" Sabrina looked up at Puck, no longer caring that she'd hurt her butt. "But… I did? I'm sorry…!"

She scrambled to her feet and reached up, touching his cheek with concern in her blue eyes.

Puck looked at her tearfully. "Ow," he said again, before lowering his hands. His nose was red. "It's all right…it doesn't hurt…that much." He sniffed -making it seem like it hurt a lot more than it really did.

"I'm really sorry, Puck, I thought you were Jeremy," Sabrina said, leaning in close and kissing him on the cheek, near his nose. "What happened? Where are we?" She looked around, and her mouth fell open. "What is everyone doing here…?"

Puck took a step forward and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her against him - much to the twitching of Henry, who still wasn't used to the fact that his thirteen-year-old daughter was in a relationship. Puck didn't answer her though, just enjoying the fact that Sabrina was okay. He'd leave the explaining to the others.

"You don't remember, _Liebling?_" Relda asked her granddaughter, as Elvis pranced in place happily.

Sabrina's entire face turned red as she felt Puck's arms around her. "What happened?" she asked in a softer voice.

"You went and got yourself killed. Don't do it again," William added to the conversation, sounding annoyed.

Veronica carried Daphne to Sabrina and Puck. "You're okay now, right sweetie?"

"Yeah mom," Sabrina murmured. "Why is Uncle Jake making out with Briar if I died?"

"Because your Uncle Jake was happy you weren't dead, and then he loses all sense of reason when it comes to Briar," Henry said wryly. He placed his hand on top of Sabrina's head. Indeed, Jake had gone from hugging Briar to kissing her, and the two were happily embracing.

"Are you really okay?" Daphne asked, looking at Sabrina. "Really?"

"I'm okay," Sabrina promised. "Aside from punching Puck, I'm okay."

There was a snapping sound, and she yelped, stumbling again. She clutched Puck's arms to stop herself from falling over, feeling sick to her stomach. Thankfully, she didn't smell that thick honey and clove scent anymore and her head felt clear. Like she hadn't been able to think straight until that moment. And her first thought was that Jeremy had a very square looking head. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't as dazzling as she remembered.

"Sorry, it's disorienting, dear," Buzzflower said. She had just finished destroying the attraction talisman with Mallobarb.

Then she looked up. "Briar Rose?" She immediately rushed over to stop Jake from kissing the lovely young woman.

Sabrina blinked after Buzzflower, looking dazed and bewildered.

Briar pulled back from Jake, blushing brightly when she heard Buzzflower. "Um…" She laid her hands against Jake's chest and looked at her fairy godmothers, blushing shyly. Mallobarb made a tsk tsk sound, shaking her head with a frown.

Puck tightened his arms around her. "You're okay, Sabrina," he said. He grinned. "Not that I'm complaining." She was, after all, clutching at him and pressed closer.

Mr. Canis walked over to them. "Are you injured, Sabrina?" he asked. His voice was rougher than normal, his eyes a bluish-silver - the wolf was barely in check.

"N-no," Sabrina stammered. "But I'm totally not even thinking Jeremy's hot anymore."

"It's because you were enchanted. It's gone now," Veronica promised.

"Oh… Oh, is that why I even considered liking him? I knew it!" Sabrina stomped her foot. "I hate it!"

"I knew you wouldn't break up with Puck on your own," Daphne said in relief.

Henry leaned down and kissed the top of Sabrina's head. "It's all right now," he said. "You're okay now, and that's the important thing, sweetheart."

Puck looked at Sabrina. "So I'm definitely the hottest guy around again?" he asked. He smirked at Sabrina. He was thrilled to hear that she wasn't even entertaining the idea that Jeremy was attractive.

Sabrina groaned. "Shut up Puck," she said, blushing. "I want to go home and sleep now."

"Sounds like a good idea," Veronica said. "Let's all go home."

Puck picked Sabrina back up again - it was a simple concept. She wanted to go home and sleep. He would carry her.

Henry nodded. Then he turned to look at William. "Those five will be dealt with accordingly, right?" He needed to know that his daughters were going to be safe now.

William rolled his eyes. "Yes of course. And The Three will oversee more protection all around with spells. Now go on. Get out of here."

Sabrina leaned into Puck, closing her eyes. The sleepiness was so sudden… "Puck… Don't drop me," she mumbled sleepily.

"Just trust me, Grimm," Puck said. He tucked her against his chest, and then looked at Relda. "Old lady, you have the car?"

Relda nodded. "It's waiting outside of the woods," she said. She turned to Mr. Canis. "Are you all right, old friend?" she asked gently.

Mr. Canis looked at her. "I believe I'll walk home, Relda," he said. "I need the air." And the chance to clear his head, and regain his focus, before going back.

"I'll drive the car, Mother," Henry said to Relda. He glanced over at his brother. "Jake, are you coming?" Briar was still cuddled against Jake's chest despite Mallobarb and Buzzflower's disapproval.

"No thanks, I need more coffee," Jake said innocently, looking delighted.

Henry shook his head.

With a sigh of relief, Kerdy headed to his family, and was immediately fussed over by Gerda. He'd been holding his breath for the most part, but now he knew that his friends would be okay.

Kai put his hand on Kerdy's shoulder. "Are you all right, son?" he asked, looking down at him.

Kerdy looked up at his father, embarrassed. "I'm okay. I'm glad Sabrina's alright."

Garret tousled his hair. "You should be more careful, little brother."

He flushed and looked down. He was the very 'little' brother. They were all so much older, they still treated him like a baby.

Forse grinned at Kerdy. "Aw, look," he teased. "He's blushing." He smirked, looking at Garret and Rae. Since Sabrina was okay, they were now permitted to tease Kerdy again.

Garret grinned and gave Kerdy a noogie.

Daphne looked around, and then moved to get down from Veronica's arms. She wanted to thank Kerdy for helping Sabrina, too.

Veronica set Daphne down gently, patting her on the head. By this point, Sabrina had fallen asleep holding onto Puck, looking adorable. While the general consensus was that the Grimms were not to blame, several Everafters still had mixed feelings on what had happened. Jake was ignoring just about everyone, arms around Briar and head in the clouds.

Snow looked at Veronica, Relda, and Henry. "Take care of her, okay?" She smiled at them gently. She had none of the issues that some of the other Everafters had - she adored the Grimm girls, and wanted them to be safe.

"Of course," Veronica said, putting a hand on Snow's shoulder briefly. "Thank you so much for watching after Daphne."

She turned to watch as Daphne hurried over to where Kerdy was with his family. Then she ushered Henry back to where they'd come from, giving Daphne a minute with her friend.

"Kerdy?" Daphne asked, looking at him. It was the first time that she'd ever seen the rest of his family, aside from his mother.

Kerdy looked down at Daphne and smiled, struggling free from his brother's noogie attempts. "Hey, Princess."

Garret raised an eyebrow. Princess?

"Thanks for helping Sabrina," Daphne said, looking up at him. She hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and wrapping her arms around him, giving him a hug.

Rae didn't bother to hide his grin. Kerdy had a pet name for this girl? How cute!

Kerdy smiled, then reached down, picking Daphne up. "Any time, Princess," he said gently.

Garret choked on laughter, turning to Rae and burying his face in his twin's neck.

Rae's shoulders shook a bit as he tried to control his laughter, and Forse had his lips pressed together to keep from smiling in amusement. Kai wrapped his arm around Gerda's shoulders - he, too, looked amused.

Daphne blushed, and smiled. "And thanks for making the bracelets," she whispered.

"They turned out pretty cool," Kerdy commented. "Or what was your word for it this week? Sweetsauce?"

Gerda giggled. Kerdy was somewhat the runt in their family, and to see him being such a cute little gentleman made her heart sing.

"They're very sweetsauce!" Daphne said, pleased that he'd remembered her word.

Then she kissed his cheek. "I need to go home with my family now, and take care of Sabrina," she said. "But I'll see you in the morning on the way to school, right?"

"Right," Kerdy said, blushing a bit. God, why in front of his brothers? And his mother? And his father? It wasn't like they were doing anything wrong; Daphne was like a little sister. But still, something about the interaction was embarrassing him, and he had a feeling his brothers would tease him endlessly for it. "Be safe, okay Princess?" He set her down.

Daphne nodded and flashed him another smile, then hurried back to rejoin her family so that they could head to the car. Puck's entire attention was on Sabrina - it was the only reason he didn't start immediately teasing Daphne.

Kerdy wasn't nearly as lucky. "So," Forse said, looking at Kerdy with amusement. "Princess?"

Kerdy groaned. "Drop it," he pleaded, turning to go home as well. The woods were clearing out.

***.*.*.*.***

When the Grimms got back to the house - minus Mr. Canis, who had yet to return, and Jake who was still absorbed in Briar - Puck carried Sabrina up to her room and got her into her bed. Then he looked at his pixies, which were still following them around. "I want a perimeter set up around the entire house," he instructed in a stern voice. "I want to know about anyone who tries to come onto the property."

The pixies flickered, and sped off to do their master's bidding.

Sabrina mumbled in her sleep, then yanked Puck closer by his hand and shoved her face into his shoulder, her breath warm against his skin. She looked completely adorable and sleepy, but most of all, alive and snuggly.

Puck touched her cheek, and then her hair, with his free hand. The other hand was holding on to hers.

Because Daphne hadn't followed them up, instead choosing to make sure there was food in the kitchen for when Sabrina woke up, Puck slipped onto the bed with Sabrina, letting her lean against his chest and keep her face against his shoulder.

Sabrina purred a bit, and then shifted. "Mwasdhfa…" she pulled back just enough to look at him. "Puck?" she mumbled sleepily.

"Heya, sleepyhead," Puck said, looking at her with his normal green eyes. Messy blonde hair flopped over his forehead, but he didn't bother to move it.

She sat up just a bit. "Are we home? Are you in my bed?" she blushed. She'd only ever fallen asleep in his arms in special circumstances. Being carried, being shielded by his wings, sitting on a couch, or deprived of most of her senses. But this was a bit closer, and her hormones went a bit crazy with a giddy_ wheeeee _of impending doom.

"Yep, and yep," Puck said with a grin. "You should feel very, very privileged by that fact." He ran his thumb over her knuckles, watching her while she sat up and looked at him. He'd become more interested in the touching aspects of their relationship lately - though he had yet to try and do anything, really, beyond kissing and their usual. He wasn't an idiot. He liked his body parts right where they belonged.

Her cheeks flushed. That touch to her hand had become special, and it warmed her every time. "Can I try something?" she asked, feeling a bit gooey. Gooey-Sabrina. _Teehee._

"Something?" Puck repeated. He tilted his head to one side. "Hmm. Sure. Why not?" As long as it didn't involve him moving from the bed. He liked it there. Especially since she was there.

She shifted to lean over him, kissing him softly. Then she kissed her way down his jaw, and down to his neck. Her lips brushed a soft kiss to the side of his neck, near his collarbone.

At the first touch of her lips, Puck had been ready to fall into their usual routine of making out until Sabrina was ready to take a nap (he could kiss her endlessly). When her lips began to move along his jaw and down his neck, his body was suddenly thrust into hyper-alert.

He put his arms around her, sliding a hand into her hair as he tilted his head to acknowledge what she was doing as good. Honestly it was completely new to him, and very _very _nice.

Sabrina counted to three, and then decided to reveal that she had been brushing up on her romance. And if her mother ever caught her reading the books she'd been reading, she was one dead Grimm.

She parted her lips, hesitantly testing out how it felt to give someone a hickey. Not bad-it tasted like skin and sweat, but it was a nice taste unique to Puck. She hoped? Not that she'd ever test it.

Puck's breath hitched, his eyes widening as he tried to figure out just exactly it was that she was doing to his neck - and how easy it would be for him to replicate that on her.

After a moment, Sabrina pulled back, examining the spot. She actually frowned down at it. "It's supposed to be darker," she complained in a really cute 'that didn't go right at all' voice.

Puck brought his hand up and touched the spot that she'd been working on. Then he shifted, half-sitting up so that he could see his reflection in her mirror - spotting the dark spot on his collarbone instantly.

He looked back at her, lying back down. "Well," he said, "it felt amazing." He tugged her down again, bringing her lips back to his. "And I'm going to have to try that one myself." There was a wicked look in his eye.

"Wh-what? B-but that's not fair, I'm totally okay not having a hickey. That's what that is ya know, a hickey. You can hide 'em much easier than I can," she said, her cheeks flushed. "I-I was just experimenting!"

At her protests, the wickedness only grew. "With all the clothes you have," he said, "I bet you can hide something."

He brushed her hair back from her neck, baring the skin as he leaned in and closed his mouth over the desired spot. Though he hadn't read the romance books that Sabrina had, he'd paid attention to what she had done. And he intended to put it to good use.

Sabrina gasped, having to pay a lot of attention to what she was doing so she didn't just flop and fall on him like an idiot. Her hands clenched in the bed sheets, making her shiver while she held herself over him. Did it really feel that good? It hurt a little too, but something about it was just so exciting that she didn't care about the slight sting.

Puck moved his hands to her shoulders and slid them down her arms, holding her firmly in place just in case she lost her grip. He closed his eyes as he worked, savoring the Sabrina flavor of her skin, until he was certain that he'd left a suitable mark on her.

He pulled back and brushed his lips against hers. "Mine."

Sabrina trembled, looking down at Puck with a soft expression. "Kay," she mumbled. "At least we found out I only liked Jeremy cause of a spell."

"Which is good," Puck said. "So can I sic the pixies on him? Maybe change his voice so that he croaks like a frog instead of speaking in that accent of his?" He rubbed her arms with his hands. "Oo, I know. Any time he even thinks about kissing a girl, I could make his mouth go numb."

"He'll probably go to jail or something. Forget him, he doesn't matter," Sabrina said. She got up to look in the mirror and groaned. "Puck! I'm never going to hide this from mom and dad!" Her hickey was much darker than his.

Puck grinned. "Then don't," he said. He followed her, then ran his finger long the length of her neck, resting it over the hickey. "It's like my own personal little nametag on you."

She scowled down at him, sitting back on the bed. "I am so not ready to explain this to my parents."

"Would it help if I explained that you gave me one first?" Puck asked cheerfully. He, of course, made no move to hide his own, plopping down next to her.

"I will end you," Sabrina swore, glowering at him.

Puck laughed, the sound crystal clear and pleased. He sat up fully and kissed her then, one of his typical all-out kisses that was meant to send shivers through her and make her have to hold on to him. He was getting better at those.

Sabrina-goo made a comeback, and she gazed at him with a dumbstruck look when the kiss broke. She forgot what she'd just threatened.

Puck drew her back to him, hugging her and cuddling her protectively in his arms. "Mine," he murmured again. "All mine." And he wasn't letting her go or giving her up for anything.

Sabrina blushed and leaned against him. "Sure," she said. "Just so you know, you're mine too. And any time one of us tries to claim otherwise, we're ruling it to magic, or enchanted items or something stupid like that. Got it? Even if you turn into a stupid smelly prankster and I try to get away from all the Everafters in the world, we stick together. We promised, after all."

"Deal," Puck replied. "After everything that I've gone through in order to get you, I'm keeping you." He nuzzled her, stroking her hair and rubbing his hand over her back and her arm.

She rolled her eyes, but he was being really sweet. He was always sweet after someone tried to kill her. "I'm going to go find some makeup to hide this hickey. You jerk."

She pulled back and went to her dresser, forgetting to open the door a crack. After all, her parents had a rule about boys being in the room; the door was to stay open at all times.

Out in the hallway, Henry paused as he headed past Sabrina's room and noticed something.

Sabrina's door was closed.

And he was fairly certain that Sabrina was inside.

He and Veronica were very firm on this particular rule - it didn't matter if Puck lived in the house, too. Sabrina's door was to remain open. He was getting used to Puck and Sabrina's relationship, but there were things he would not budge on, especially as Sabrina got older.

He pushed open the door. "Sabrina," he started, "how many times have I told you that you're supposed to have this door............!" His words screeched to a halt as he stared at his daughter. And at Puck, who was sitting up on Sabrina's bed, wide-eyed.

And, in particular, the very tell-tale marks on their skin.

Sabrina whirled around so fast that she almost lost her footing. "Dad!" She yelped. Her hand went up to her neck, slapping over the mark as if she could make him forget he'd seen it just by covering it up. "Um.... Right, door, sorry--um, I just half-died and got my soul back so you can't be mad at me right? Riiiight?" She gave a big grin that said 'please love me?'

Puck stared at Sabrina. If that actually worked...

The stern expression didn't waver from Henry's face. "Your mother and I set this rule for a reason, Sabrina," he said. He looked at his daughter, then at Puck.

The look he gave Puck was so fierce that Puck actually jumped off of the bed before he realized what he was doing.

Henry looked back at Sabrina. "I think it's time that we had a talk - all three of us."

"A talk?" Sabrina asked in a small, wary voice.

"A talk," Henry repeated in a firm tone. "It's time that I discussed something very important with you and Puck."

Puck suddenly tensed, and he looked at Sabrina in horror. Please don't let it be what he thought it was. Please don't let it be what he thought it was. Please... please...pleasepleaseplease...

"We need to talk about sex," Henry finished.

Puck smacked himself in the face.

Sabrina felt her mouth drop open in a way that indicated she was both horrified and wishing Klarissa would appear out of thin air and take her soul or aura away again. "No..."

She backed away, looking around for any kind of weapon that could ward Henry away.

"Sit down," Henry said firmly. "Both of you. Now."

Puck glanced at Sabrina, trying to catch her eye. He gave a pointed look to the window. If they went for it, he could try to fly them out.

Sabrina glanced at Puck, followed his gaze to the window, and then took a deep breath. They'd eventually have to come home if they escaped, so...

"Okay," she mumbled, bowing her head and moving to the bed to sit down.

Feeling an overwhelming sense of Doom, Puck trudged over to the bed as well, sitting down next to Sabrina.

Henry stood in front of them with his arms crossed. "All right, you two," he said. "I know you've been through a lot - and I know how curious kids can get at your age. I've been there."

_Oh, shoot me now..._ Puck thought with a mental groan.

Sabrina had a permanent look of mortified horror on her face, and she stared at Henry.

"The older you get, the more your bodies are going to change - and hormones are going to start kicking in," Henry continued. "It's all part of puberty - remember, I told you about that, Puck?"

Puck looked like he wanted to hide under the bed.

"The fact is, though, that the two of you are simply too young to be taking your relationship into that direction." Henry looked from Sabrina to Puck and back.

"Right, no sex, got it," Sabrina said abruptly. "Can we go now?"

Outside, Veronica paused at the door, looking into the room with a bewildered expression.

"MOM!" Sabrina jumped up. "Dad was just telling us all about the birds and the bees. If we promise never to do anything, will you make him leave?"

Veronica raised one delicate eyebrow, then looked to Henry. "What did you say to them?"

"Just that they older they get, the more their bodies are going to start changing, and hormones will start kicking in..."

"GYAH!" Puck said, waving his hands in a big NO way. "We got it the first time! We got it, we got it!" He didn't want to hear it again!

Veronica looked at her husband in exasperation. "Why don't I take over from here?"

Henry looked at his wife - and then looked a bit relieved. He hadn't enjoyed trying to do the talk, either. "Good idea, honey," he said, going over to her.

Puck gave Veronica a pleading look. No talk. No talk, ever.

Giving him quick kiss, Veronica slipped into the room and ushered him out. She shut the door behind her and glanced to Puck and Sabrina.

Sabrina was staring at her mother helplessly. "Mom..."

"Why was he giving you a sex talk?" Veronica asked calmly.

"I... Well, I was um..." Sabrina looked at Puck. "Experimenting...?"

"With?" Veronica asked, looking to her daughter's hickey.

Sabrina sagged. "You don't need to ask..."

"No, I don't, but I want you to tell me."

"It's not really that big of a deal, is it?" Puck asked, looking at Veronica. "I mean, you can't blame us for being curious. And we didn't' do anything except give each other some hickeys. We don't really need to have the entire sex talk, do we? Do we?"

Veronica smiled. "Puck, sweetie," she said in a voice that could only be described as 'delightfully sadistic'. "I'd like to point out that my daughter is only thirteen, and still my baby."

Sabrina shuddered at the undertone of a threat in her mother's voice. Veronica was scary!

Puck froze, and his eyes slowly widened. "Um... well...you see...." Somehow, he was sure that telling Veronica that he thought her daughter was extremely hot and something of a tease wouldn't go over well.

Veronica turned her attention back to Sabrina. "Well?"

Sabrina cringed again. "Well... I was reading a book, and a hickey seemed like a less grown-up way to make out without doing anything drastic?"

"I see," Veronica said. "And is that as far as you've gone?"

Sabrina nodded, looking embarrassed. "I promise."

"And you don't plan on doing anything more adult until you're older, right?"

"Right," Sabrina said instantly.

"Good, because if I catch you doing anything too adult, you will get the sex talk from Henry, Relda, and even Mr. Canis," Veronica promised.

"...No Uncle Jake?" Sabrina asked curiously, since everyone else had pretty much been listed.

"...I don't think I want you knowing what he knows," Veronica said firmly.

Puck made a mental note to check in with Jake on his knowledge - for future reference.

"So hickeys are fine, but nothing else?" Puck asked, wanting to clarify and just made sure.

"Please be discreet," Veronica made a face. "I'm not stopping either of you from growing up... Just be careful."

"Thanks mom," Sabrina said quickly, knowing right then and there they were getting off MUCH easier than she'd originally thought.

"Yeah, thanks," Puck said promptly. He looked at Sabrina, shooting her a silent look that clearly read, 'Your mom is awesome'.

Veronica stood, heading for the door. She paused. "And keep the door open if you're both going to be in here, alright? Also, don't give Daphne any ideas."

"Kay," Sabrina promised, hoping Veronica wouldn't turn around and start telling them about hormones or how their bodies were changing. She was still horrified that Henry had pulled Puck aside and explained puberty before.

Puck leaned over to Sabrina. "If we ended giving the marshmallow ideas," he whispered, "she'd want us to define it all first."

Sabrina snorted her laughter, freezing when Veronica turned.

Then her mother smiled, turned, and left them alone again.

"Oh thank god," Sabrina said in relief, plopping backwards on the bed. "See? This is exactly why I told you not to give me a hickey. You ass."

Puck chuckled, stretching out next to her. "Hey, you enjoyed it while I was doing it," he teased her.

She scowled. "Shut up, King of butts."

His grin widened. "Does that mean you like my butt?" he asked, unable to resist. He rolled over instantly to avoid being smacked, because he was sure it was coming.

Her hand narrowly missed his face, and she scowled again. "Why would I like your butt? Gross!"

Puck laughed, nimbly getting to his feet next to the bed. His eyes danced as he looked at her. "Missed me," he teased.

"Oh really?" Sabrina suddenly squeezed her wrist and tugged him towards her by the shimmering string from her bracelet.

"ACK!" he exclaimed, the momentum carrying him forward. He flew over the side of the bed, falling straight towards her.

"ACK!" Sabrina echoed, yelping when she pulled him right onto her, smacking her head on his. She hadn't quite calculated for that. "Ow..."

There were definite stars in Puck's eyes. "Ow..." he echoed. He pushed himself up, holding himself over Sabrina. "That feels like it'll bruise."

"That was a mistake," Sabrina groaned, closing her eyes. "Puck, get off of me..."

"Oh, and one more th--" Veronica trailed off. She'd stuck her head back into the room, but paused when she'd realized what position they were in.

Puck's eyes went wide as he looked at Veronica. "Um...uh...it's not...what it looks like..."

Veronica twitched. "Sabrina..."

Sabrina groaned and turned on her side, burying her face in the nearest pillow. "This is not my day."

***.*.*.*.***

Snow waited in the front room, pacing back and forth. She was waiting for William to come home - and she knew that when he did, there was a very good chance that he was going to be in a frustrated mood.

After all, having to send Ilitha's children to jail for what they had done to Sabrina Grimm was a clear message to some of the Everafters that William supported the Grimm family. While there were a few Everafters who would see it as the right thing to do (Snow herself included) there were many, many more who wouldn't. And William had just barely managed to make it through the last election...

She stopped pacing and walked over to the front window, looking out. She'd feel a lot more at ease once she knew how William was doing.

It wasn't long before William arrived home, looking weary and scowling. He was yelling at Mr. Seven, but the moment they reached the door, he paused and looked to the little man. With a muttered apology, (he was making an effort to be nicer for Snow's sake) he opened the door to go inside.

A smile graced Snow's face when she watched William mutter the apology, and then she stepped back from the window and turned to him as he came inside.

"You're home," she said with relief, going over to him.

William hesitated when she approached him, then forced as much of a smile as he could manage. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "And much happier now that I'm with my beautiful wife," he said in his best 'flattering' tone.

Snow smiled and tilted her head up, going up on her toes and brushing her lips against his.

But when she pulled back, she was concerned. "How are you doing?" she asked.

His smile faltered. He stepped back slightly, but didn't release her. "Why can't Sabrina Grimm go one year without causing me trouble?"

"You know she doesn't mean to do it," Snow said gently, one hand resting on his back and stroking it lightly.

"Yet every time a school is blowing up or a Jabberwocky crashes an election, she's in the middle of it," William muttered. "Now five more Everafters are in jail, and the community as a whole is having trouble seeing why."

"You did the right thing, William," Snow said seriously. "Those children, Everafters or not, were way out of line. Even their own mother agrees with that."

"It's just another weight added to the community. Somehow, Sabrina Grimm was in danger, Everafters were to blame, Everafters are being punished," William shook his head. "It's only going to keep getting worse."

Snow looked at him worriedly. As much as she wanted to be optimistic - she had to admit that he had a point. The community was becoming strained.

"We'll find a way to handle it," Snow said. She hugged him. "Come on - you look like you're exhausted. Let's go sit down."

William gave no argument to the idea of sitting down. Maybe fixing them both a nice drink and having a relaxing evening...

He shifted so that he walked alongside her, snaking his arm around her waist and splaying his hand on her hip a little. "How about a quiet evening? Just the two of us?"

Snow tucked herself against him as they walked. "A quiet evening sounds wonderful," she said with a smile. "But I'm going to have to pass on the wine tonight."

"Hm? Okay," William shrugged. "And did I mention the complaints when that idiot Jake Grimm started putting his hands all over Briar Rose?"

Snow laughed softly. "Oh, I've seen them at her shop," she said. "He adores her, and she clearly doesn't mind. I think it's cute."

"Yes, cute, whatever," William scowled. "And no I'm not acting like this because I used to be married to Briar. It's because Jake Grimm is just the kind of idiot who will get her killed."

A sudden shiver went through Snow, one she couldn't explain. "I hope not," she said softly. "I really hope not."

"Snow," William said quietly, as they reached the dining room. He pulled her chair out for her. "Jake Grimm is impulsive and doesn't think about the consequences before he acts. What will Briar become if she marries him?"

Snow sat down gracefully in the chair, and looked up at him. "Hopefully happy," she said softly. If Briar loved Jake Grimm enough to marry him... then she wanted the other girl to be happy.

William sighed. "Yes, Happy. Until the Scarlet Hand comes after her for being a Grimm and an Everafter."

"Do you really think they're that powerful, William?" Snow asked in concern. "Briar's protected by her godmothers, and Buzzflower and Mallobarb are no slouches when it comes to magic."

"I don't know what they'll do," William shook his head. "It got heated today though. Someone tried to argue that if Briar married Jake, she could leave the barrier. When Ilitha pointed out that the only reason her children would have been able to leave was because the spell didn't work that way. Instead of just making them Grimms, it counteracted the fact that they were Everafters, and disguised them -as- Sabrina Grimm, basically. So now it's fully cleared up, if Briar becomes a Grimm, she's an Everafter who won't die a natural death and can't leave the barrier. Meaning none of us leave until Briar dies. Before, they were just figuring they'd have to outlive the Grimm line, I'm sure."

Snow's eyes widened, and she covered her mouth. She cared little about leaving Ferryport Landing - she was happy so long as she was with the people she loved - but she knew that wasn't the case for others.

"If that's true," she said, "then the Scarlet Hand would target Briar because with her alive... oh, no, William..."

"That's exactly what I mean about Jake Grimm getting her killed," William muttered. "And the Scarlet Hand is no joke."

"There must be something we can do," Snow said softly. "I can't imagine what it'd be like...what if someone had come along and told me that I couldn't marry you?" Then she paused, and frowned. "Well, if someone had told me that, I probably would have ignored them and done it anyway."

"You probably would have married me sooner just to prove you could. I wonder why I didn't think of that," he joked, smirking a bit.

"I'm glad you didn't," Snow said, "because I think the way that we ended up was simply perfect." She gave him a warm, tender look.

He cleared his throat and headed for the wine rack. "Ahem. Anyway, why are you passing on the wine tonight, sweetheart?"

Snow smiled at that. "Well," she said, "wine isn't good for women in my condition."

"Condition?" He turned to her, eyes filled with confusion. "Are you sick?"

Amusement flickered in her eyes. "Not at all," she said. She'd been tempted to play with him a bit, make him guess - but suddenly she found that she couldn't wait.

"I'm pregnant," she said softly. "We're having a baby."

William Charming stared blankly across the room at his beautiful wife. "Excuse me?"

Her smile grew, and she looked at him with dancing eyes. "We're having a baby, Billy," she said affectionately.

"Oh. That's what I thought you said. I'll see you in a moment."

William's eyes rolled back into his head, and he hit the ground. He was out cold.

Snow's eyes widened, and she jumped to her feet and rushed to kneel next to him.

"Oh, Billy," she said with an affectionate sigh, touching his cheek tenderly.

***.*.*.*.***

Veronica sat down on the bed, grinning over at her husband. "So I see you horrified our daughter and her boyfriend with a sex talk earlier."

Henry looked at her, sitting on his side of the bed. "Horrified in a way that means they'll never think about sex again - ever?" he asked hopefully.

"As in you should be more sensitive to the fact that our daughters are growing up," Veronica said gently, looking to him. "Sabrina's a teenager now. And knows that she's too young for sex."

Henry sighed, leaning back against the pillows that were popped up against the headboard. "I know," he admitted. "But it's hard to admit it. It doesn't feel like we had enough time with her before she started growing up. And pretty soon Daphne will grow up too."

"I know how you feel," Veronica said. "Don't you wish they were babies again?"

Henry nodded. "Not only do I wish they were babies again," he said, "but I'd like them to stay that way."

Veronica leaned over and snuggled up against his chest. "What about a new baby?"

Henry wrapped his arm around Veronica's shoulders and sighed. "A new baby would be nice," he admitted.

"Good, cause you knocked me up," she said, cuddling contently, her short black hair falling over her cheek.

"Really?" Henry asked. "That's great, honey...."

His voice trailed off. Then he paused.

"...did you just say you were having another baby?" he asked.

Veronica laughed, playfully swinging her leg over his lap and straddling him. She looked down at him with a bright look in her eyes. "Yes. I'm about two months pregnant, honey."

Henry stared up at her in shock.

Then a huge grin split across his face, and he reached up, pulling her down so that he could kiss her.

He pulled back after a moment. "Boy or girl?" he asked, eyes bright.

"I didn't ask," Veronica said with a laugh, tossing her head back. She leaned back down and kissed him. "I don't even think they can check yet."

After a couple more loving, tender kisses, Henry pulled back again and murmured, "Well, I guess I can wait seven more months."

"When should we tell the others?" Veronica asked with a big smile, nuzzling him a little. "I don't know how Sabrina's going to react, but I bet Daphne'll be ecstatic."

Henry thought for a moment. "Hmm," he said. "Well, if we keep it from them too long and they find out we did, they won't be too happy. We should probably tell them as soon as possible."

"Well, I only found out today. I mean, I suspected, but yeah..." Veronica sat up fully. "Especially with what happened to Sabrina today, I didn't know when to bring it up."

Henry considered it for moment. "Maybe we ought to let a bit more time pass between what happened today, and telling the girls," he said. "Sabrina needs some time, I think."

"She handles it better than we do when she gets so hurt," Veronica murmured. "I'm really worried about her. I think she missed more of her childhood than we did."

Her husband looked sad as he thought that over. "There's nothing we can do to change that, is there?"

Veronica sighed softly. "I don't think so. But we can't dwell on that."

"You're right." He touched her cheek gently. "What we need to do is focus on keeping her safe now and preserving what's left of her innocence."

"And not scaring the crap out of her and her boyfriend over a couple of hickeys," Veronica said sternly.

Henry flushed. "That boy better take good care of her," he grumbled. "That's all I have to say."

She reached down and touched his cheek. "I'm really happy you're here with us, Henry. And that you're not trying to forbid Sabrina from being with that boy. It means a lot to me... I don't know if I said it before, but I know how hard it was for you to agree to stay here."

"It was hard," Henry said softly. "But... you and the girls, you're happy here. It took me time to see that." He shook his head. "I wouldn't be happy without you. So if living in this town again is what I have to do, then I'll do it."

Veronica smiled down at him. "I knew falling in love with you was a good idea," she teased.

Henry chuckled, gazing at his wife tenderly. "I love you, too," he said warmly.

"Let's get to bed," Veronica murmured, leaning down and kissing him again. "It was a long day."

She shifted so that she no longer straddled him, curling up against his side and resting her head on his chest.

Henry slid his arm around her waist and held her close. "Good night, Veronica," he murmured tenderly, stroking her hair with his other hand.

"Night, Henry," she said with a smile, closing her eyes.

***.*.*.*.***

Sabrina yawned, stretching her arms as she made her way down the hall. Puck had slept in his own room. Neither of them had wanted to risk getting caught in a compromising position for a third time, so after Sabrina had fallen asleep, Puck had left her in her room.

It was almost time for breakfast, but Sabrina hadn't woken Daphne, and she wasn't going to get Puck.

She went to Mr. Canis' room, knocking hesitantly.

There was a pause. Then a quiet, "Come in," could be heard from the other side of the door.

Mr. Canis sat cross-legged in the center of the room, his eyes closed as if in meditation. He had been there since the rescue of Sabrina in the woods - he hadn't emerged since entering the room the day before.

Sabrina opened the door hesitantly, then walked into the room and looked around. She couldn't recall having ever been in Mr. Canis' room before.

She had a minute to wish she'd stopped to get dressed for the day, rather than show up in her fleece pajama pants and tank top. It didn't help that the tank top had Puck's face on the front and back with one of her love confessions written on it.

Thankful that she'd at least brushed her hair, she shut the door behind her and walked over to Mr. Canis.

Mr. Canis' room was sparsely furnished - it looked like the sort of room one might find a monk living in.

Mr. Canis opened his eyes, and turned his head slightly to look at her over his shoulder. He was sitting with his back to her. "Good morning, Sabrina," he said with politeness. "How are you?"

"Soul's in one piece and belonging to me, so today's a good day," Sabrina said, walking over so she could face him. She leaned against a mostly empty table. "Puck told me how much you helped yesterday. I wanted to say thank you."

Mr. Canis shook his head. "There's no need to thank me," he said. "I'm simply glad that you're all right."

Sabrina shifted awkwardly. "I feel a little guilty," she admitted. "You've really helped me out before and I don't think I ever really said thanks. It's funny, ever since Puck got hurt by the Jabberwocky a few years ago, I've been... Well, worried that you were going to snap."

Mr. Canis' eyes expression didn't change. He looked at her steadily.

"I promise you, Sabrina," he said, "that I take every precaution to ensure that something like that doesn't happen. I don't want the Wolf coming out anymore than you."

"I guess it's just that right before we came back, Hamstead kinda hinted that... Well, that we might need a weapon to fight against you."

Sabrina twiddled her thumbs a bit. "I haven't been able to fully relax... But you really aren't that bad. And I was thinking back to how rude I used to be to you. I don't think you're dangerous anymore, so... Thanks."

Mr. Canis looked at her silently for a long moment. And then he nodded slightly. "You're welcome, Sabrina," he said. "You should go make sure that your sister wakes up for breakfast now - she won't get up on her own."

Laughing, Sabrina rolled her eyes. "I bet she'd get out of bed if I told her Kerdy was here. I guess you're right though, I'll shake her until she gets up."

She headed back for the door.

Mr. Canis closed his eyes, waiting for Sabrina to leave.

The moment that he heard the door click shut, he suddenly grasped at his chest, clutching the fabric of his shirt. Gritting his teeth, he leaned forward, as if doing so could physically suppress the beast that had been trying to rip its way out of him since Sabrina had entered the room.

He opened his eyes, and the color had changed. "You can't keep me back forever, old man," whispered the Wolf, his voice gruff. "Sooner or later, you won't be able to stop me from ripping out their throats."

Then the color flickered, returning to his normal shade. "Never," Mr. Canis whispered almost inaudibly. His body trembling as he forced the Wolf back again, beads of sweat dotting his forehead. He squeezed his eyes shut, taking in several deep breaths as he reoriented himself. "I'll never let you hurt them."

He straightened up slowly, releasing his grip, and let out a deep breath as he opened his eyes once more. No trace of the Wolf showed in them. He had regained his composure for the moment. Pushed back the monster.

For now.

***.*.*.*.***

**A/N:**

**Ayns:** zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

**Sky: **Bwahahahaahaha. We'll work harder to get the next chapter out fast, cause you readers/reviewers are friggin sweet. And to the person who asked about the Grimms needing to be dead for the Everafters to leave, it's my understanding that the barrier holds as long as a Grimm is inside of it (and alive)

When Klarissa and her siblings took Sabrina's soul/aura, they disguised themselves as Grimms and basically stopped being Everafters briefly. Meaning they'd be able to leave without any problems.

Hope that makes sense and clears things up ^^; Also, I think that Briar and Jake marrying is a conundrum. I mean, that'd make her a Grimm like it made Relda one, and she can't leave the barrier, so she'd eternally be screwing over the rest of the Everafters, right? Maybe that's why they were so drastic in book 7 :O

Luvvies!

**P.S. **I really hate that the document manager has started eating my *****s... I need those for scene changes, damn it D: Thanks Lyla Domae, I put it back in where it's supposed to go, and nixed that extra ". Many hearts for mentioning that ^^ Also

**P.S.S. **To the 'anonymous' anonymous review... Thank you for pointing it out, we fixed the typo. However your attitude sucks, and brace yourself... 'titled' is also a word. So yeah, kinda hard to catch that on a spellchecker, but thanks for your concern on how hard we work.

**P.S.S...S? **fixed more typos :3


	14. The Wolf

**EDIT: Sky: Re-Added scene skips.**

**A/N:**

**Sky: **Sorry again for the delay! IRL is beating our butts! So quick comments. First of all THANK YOU SO MUCH for the votes on best fic! We found out we won, and that got us super excited! Also CONGRATS! To the other winners. Well deserved ^^

WHEEEE 300 reviews! **Awesomeness to Lara D** on giving us the 300th review!

**And as for 'Anonymous'… **Okay I have no problem with people pointing out typos or errors. It's nice because it helps us fix it… But try not to sound like a jerk when you do it, and if you're going to complain on our reviews and other people's reviews…

**Can you at least complain correctly? **As I recall the problem was that we typo'd 'titled' instead of 'tilted' and now this **'Anonymous' **is advertising that we have spelling and/or grammar errors. Now, technically, that's neither. "Puck titled his head" is apparently grammatically correct, and 'titled' is actually a word. Also, what's the point of advertising it elsewhere? The messages I got were confusing. **In the future, if you're going to sound rude and ask someone if it's "that hard" to use a spell check, ask yourself if it's just as hard to grab a dictionary.**

Moving on from that (1 semi-bad review out of 304? I'll take it :D) THANK YOU AGAIN and YAY to the reviewers! (Also thanks to **minus your plus, **we decided to throw in some bathing suits for fun): **curlscat, Queen Lucy of Narnia, minus your plus, Vianna, IKidnappedSpock, Schadenfreude62, Lyla Domae, Amelia, Trickster Queen464, Bluestocking inc, Tanglenight, iD Sisters Grimm iD, ladedalada, obsessedwithbooks, Zeorzia, BoOkLuvEr303, ZOMBIEfiedCrayons, silent-entrance, no one, dog9girl, LovintheGrimmLife, Ascaisil, aliceinblack, bobbie jo, Lara D, Anonymous, Horsegirl99, **and **Hippiegirl321995.**

**Ayns: zzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz**

**Sky: **She means thanks too. ^^

***.*.*.*.***

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter Fourteen: The Wolf_**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

There was a sound like a squeal, and then a very large splash. Tiny drops of chlorine rain showered anyone standing too close. When the girl who had made the splash finally surfaced at the pool, she was scowling in irritation towards the diving board. Of course, her boyfriend was laughing at the fact that he'd just carried her up onto a diving board and tossed her in while she was fully clothed, but she was not so amused.

"Do you need any help, Sabrina?" Kerdy asked calmly, walking to the edge of the pool and offering a hand. No one else seemed to notice or care about their group, even though it was a crowded day at the community swimming pool.

"No, I think I've got it," Sabrina snapped, her hair sticking to her face, and her t-shirt feeling like it weighed a hundred pounds.

She squeezed her bracelet, and then tugged it as hard as she could do bring Puck into the pool as well. None of them had changed into their bathing suits yet.

Perched on the edge of the diving board and doubled over laughing, Puck was unprepared for the tug on his bracelet. His eyes went comically wide as he felt himself lurching forward, one foot sliding off the edge of the board - and then it was bye-bye balance as he went tumbling down into the pool itself, plunging head-over-heels into the water.

Behind Kerdy, Daphne let out a peal of laughter, unable to resist as a moment later Puck's head broke through the surface, sputtering in protest. "Grimm!" Puck shouted angrily, glaring at Sabrina from beneath water-logged bangs.

Sabrina was already swimming for her life, coughing and laughing. They'd been going to the pool ever since school had let out, mainly because Sabrina wanted to teach Puck to swim.

The other reason was Veronica. She was already having mood swings, and having explained her pregnancy, the girls took every chance they could to escape. It had been two months since Sabrina's near-death at the hands of Klarissa and her siblings, putting them right in the middle of summer.

"You started it, butt-face!" Sabrina called, trying to pull herself and her soggy jeans out of the water.

Kerdy rolled his eyes. "Daphne, promise me when you get a boyfriend, you won't fight with him like this."

"Yeah, but you can swim!" Puck protested, interrupting. And when he began to do a rather pathetic doggie-paddle to the side of the pool, it only made Daphne laugh more.

She drew in big gulps over air, trying to calm herself so that she could answer Kerdy. "O-okay," she managed, grinning and unable to quite stop.

Sabrina sighed, discreetly squeezing her bracelet and tugging him faster to the side of the pool. He did look pretty pathetic. Kerdy smiled, trying not to snicker too loudly.

Puck reached the side and grasped it, hauling himself up. He flipped onto his back on the concrete next to the pool. "Land!" he exclaimed, gasping like a drowning man. "Land at last!"

"C'mon, Drama Queen," Sabrina said. "Go get changed into your bathing suit so I can teach you to swim. And look less pathetic."

She was blushing though, because that particular day, she'd packed a different swimsuit.

"Well, if I must." Puck rolled onto his side and pushed himself up, stretching. "C'mon, Kerdy - I'm not going into that locker room all by myself. I'm still not entirely sure why I have to use a bathing suit at all; it's perfectly natural to do without."

Daphne clapped her hands over her mouth and bit back another laugh, which erupted as a snort.

Kerdy grinned. "Yes of course sir, coming sir," he gave a full bow. "Does his Majesty require anything else?" he tousled Daphne's hair, slinging his satchel over his shoulder. He had all the towels with him.

"Maybe one of those fruit drinks with a little umbrella," Puck said immediately, giving what he thought was a royal tilt of the head.

"Kerdy, don't you dare--even to keep up with the joke," Sabrina warned.

"I won't pamper him, I promise," Kerdy said. "We're gonna go change."

Sabrina put her hand on Daphne's shoulder and led her towards the girls' locker rooms. "I can't believe mom's having a baby in five months."

Daphne nodded. "I know... part of me is really excited, but the other part makes me think that things are going to change with a new baby."

She looked over at her sister. "Will they?"

"Of course things will change," Sabrina said, rolling her eyes. "But it'll be fun. You can be a big sister like me. Don't you want more responsibility?"

That made Daphne's eyes light up, and she nodded. "Do you think Mom and Dad will let me help out with the baby?" she asked. "Give it bottles and put it to sleep and stuff?"

"Of course," Sabrina promised. "Do you want a brother or a sister?"

Daphne looked thoughtful. "Sister, maybe...but then there'd be three girls, and that wouldn't be fair to Dad. So we should have a brother so that it's a little more even."

"I think it might be fun to have a brother," Sabrina agreed, going into one of the bathroom stalls to change into her bathing suit. "Unless he's as hard to deal with as Puck."

"I think Puck's one of a kind," Daphne said. "I don't see how anyone could be like he is."

She pulled on her simple, dark blue tank suit, and then touched one of her braids. "Should I keep my hair braided?" she asked, leaving the stall she'd entered.

"Sure," Sabrina answered. "I'm keeping my hair in a ponytail." She couldn't help but sound a bit nervous as she changed out of her already wet clothes and into her suit.

Daphne caught the change in her sister's tone and looked at the closed stall door curiously. "Are you okay, Sabrina?"

"I'm fine..." Sabrina swallowed, then held her head up high and walked out of the stall. She was wearing a dark red bikini with no print or design. The top was more like a sports bra, so it wasn't like she was revealing too much, but her midriff was exposed, and it was nothing like the bathing suits or tankinis she'd worn before.

Daphne's eyes widened and she squeaked a little. "Puck hasn't seen that, has he?" she asked. "Actually...have Mom or Dad seen that?"

"Mom saw it," Sabrina admitted, cheeks heating up a bit. "But no, dad would have stapled our door shut if he'd seen it. And Puck doesn't know I bought it. It doesn't look stupid, does it?" She did a small twirl. "My butt's not completely showing or anything, is it? Ugh, I should have brought a regular suit!"

Daphne shook her head. "Nonono!" she said. "You look great, Sabrina, really!" She beamed up at her. "It looks perfect on you!"

"Really?" Sabrina grinned, trying to look reassured for Daphne. Besides, she was pretty sure she looked good, and who cared what the boys said? "Thanks Daphne. C'mon, let's go have some fun."

Daphne nodded, her eyes lighting up. Then she blushed a little. "Do I look okay, Sabrina?" The tank suit was really...plain, compared to Sabrina's bathing suit. But it was what she was comfortable in.

"Of course you look fine," Sabrina reassured her. "Why? Trying to impress someone?"

That deepened the blush in her cheeks. "N-no, of course not!" Daphne stammered. "I just, you know, want to look okay!"

Pausing before she could take another step, Sabrina turned to her little sister, eyes widening. She put her hands on her hips. "Daphne Grimm," she said. "You have a crush on Kerdy, don't you?"

Daphne's eyes went wide, and her hands flew to her mouth. She bit down on her palm hard and shook her head, trying to deny it silently.

Sabrina smirked. "Liar," she sang. "Besides, I'm pretty sure everyone's noticed it by now."

Daphne's eyes went even larger. "You don't think Kerdy has, do you?" she asked, the words tumbling from her mouth. "Oh, if he knows I'm going to be so embarrassed!"

"Actually, I think he's the only one who doesn't know," Sabrina said, shaking her head. "Don't worry though, we won't say anything to him."

Daphne ducked her head shyly, feeling relieved at the reassurance that Kerdy didn't know. She nodded. "Thanks," she said. "I don't want him to know."

"You're a little young to be interested in boys anyway," Sabrina said dryly.

"I'm not that young!" Daphne protested with a scowl. "And you weren't much older than me when you met Puck."

Sabrina rolled her eyes. "The circumstances were totally different, Daphne."

"Well, I'll be older soon," Daphne said with certainty. Then she grabbed Sabrina's hand. "Come on. Let's go show Puck your new suit."

Sabrina laughed at her little sister's enthusiasm, then followed along, looking for the boys. Kerdy was in a pair of green swim trunks, laying out the towels and any inflatable pieces they'd brought along.

Puck was casting an apprehensive look towards the water. He, like Kerdy, was also wearing a pair of green swimming trunks - the same shade of green that matched his eyes normally. They hugged his hips, fitting perfectly for someone who had probably never worn a bathing suit in his life before that summer. He didn't notice Sabrina immediately, his attention on the pool.

Sabrina hesitated, then walked up behind Puck carefully. With a gleeful revenge smirk, she suddenly shoved him in the back, wanting him to fall into the water.

"ACK!" Puck's arms flailed, and went face forward into the pool, once again finding his mouth full of water. Chlorine. Yeck!

He broke the surface, spun around, and grabbed the side of the pool. Then he glared up at her. "What the heck was that...for..." His voice trailed off, his eyes widening when he realized just what it was that Sabrina was wearing.

Sabrina was grinning proudly. "Revenge for tossing me in," she said, forgetting how she was dressed. "Now we're even."

"How is that even, you already pulled me into the pool!" Puck protested, staring at her still.

"We're even now, and that's that," she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Feh," Puck said. "Fine." His eyes remained glued to her, and Daphne was starting to have trouble keeping in the giggles.

She hurried over to Kerdy to help him with the towels and such.

"Nice suit, Sabrina," Kerdy said innocently.

Sabrina blinked, looking down at herself and blushing when she remembered what she'd put on. The thrill of catching Puck off-guard had momentarily distracted her. "Uh... Thanks."

Puck immediately narrowed his eyes at Kerdy. "Eyes off, Kerdy," he said. No one was allowed to stare at Sabrina but him.

Daphne had a sudden image of Puck as a fairy caveman. She really needed to stop laughing.

"Tell that to the boys over there," Kerdy joked, pointing to another group of regular boys from school. There weren't too many girls at the pool.

Puck glanced over and narrowed his eyes again, then pulled himself out of the water. He put his arm around Sabrina's shoulders, shooting a glare over at the regular boys.

Sabrina's cheeks flushed. Puck wasn't wearing a shirt after all--and she was pretty skimpy. This led to a lot more skin contact than usual. "S-so... Into the pool again so I can teach you to swim?"

Puck scowled a touch - he wasn't thrilled with the idea of swimming, but it was one of those things that Sabrina really wanted to do. He thought it was sort of silly since he was immortal and couldn't drown... but hey. Plus side - Sabrina in a bathing suit.

"Sure," he said, acting completely calm about all of it.

"You've got that look on your face," Sabrina accused. "You're thinking this is pointless 'cause you're immortal. Well, you're wrong, it's not pointless."

She pulled away from him and jumped into the pool.

Puck moved to slide into the pool - definitely not diving. "Okay, then, explain how it's not pointless," he said once she'd surfaced.

"I don't know how immortal you are," Sabrina said, looking away and frowning at the water. There was real concern and worry in her eyes. "And even Everafters die if they stop breathing long enough, right? Just humor me here and learn to swim... Okay?" She didn't look back at him.

Puck held on to the wall for a moment, looking at her. He could see in her eyes that it was a real fear. She felt vulnerable so much of the time that the idea of him being vulnerable worried her more than she let on.

_'Jeez,' _he thought, resisting the urge to affectionately shake his head at her. He rolled his eyes and made a big show of resistance. "Fine. If we must."

Sabrina rolled her eyes at his attitude--but at least he wasn't kicking and screaming to get away.

While the two 'lovebirds', as Kerdy was now referring to them, started in on the day's lessons, Kerdy glanced to Daphne. "I'm not really feeling like going into the water yet. How about you, Princess?"

Daphne shook her head. "Me, neither," she said, looking at him. Her pigtails hung down her back - her hair had been growing out some, and she wasn't really sure when she'd gotten it cut last. "So what do you want to do?"

"We could work on our awesome tans," Kerdy joked. He was pretty pale considering how often he'd actually left his house in the summer. He was somewhat of a recluse, but he never turned down an opportunity to hang out with the Grimms.

He paused, glancing over to the little vending area where a kindly old man was selling drinks, ice cream, and snacks. "Why don't you set up a place for us to sit down, and I'll get us some ice cream?"

Daphne's eyes lit up at the mention of ice cream. "Okay," she said with a nod, scurrying to finish the set up so that they could relax. "Thanks, Kerdy!"

Kerdy grinned after her, grabbing some money from his bag and leaving the bag with Daphne. He headed over to the line, wondering what kind of ice cream he'd be getting.

Daphne set up the two beach chairs that they'd brought it, placing them far enough away from the poolside so that they wouldn't get splashed, and spread towels out on them. She was humming softly to herself - behind her in the pool, she could hear Puck complaining, but she thought it was great that he was letting Sabrina teach him how to swim anyway.

While Sabrina and Puck were busy trying to drown each other, a shadow fell over Daphne, blocking out the sun and standing tall over her--like Kerdy did sometimes on accident.

Daphne figured that was exactly what it was in this case. "Kerdy, did you get the ice cream?" she asked, turning as she spoke to look at him.

Nottingham himself looked down at the little girl, a scowl on his face. "Maybe you should go home," he said. "Before someone gets hurt."

Daphne's eyes widened as she stared up at the imposing form of the Sherriff. She swallowed. "This is a public pool," she said, mentally congratulating herself on keeping her voice from shaking. "I'm allowed to be here."

"Technically," Nottingham said with a sneer. "But technically, accidents happen all the time."

He took another step towards her.

Daphne took a step back, her leg bumping one of the beach chairs. "There are a lot of people around," she said, trying to sound more confident than she felt. "I'm not here alone."

"I don't see anyone," Nottingham said, leaning over her a bit. "Just a bunch of kids, and none of them are paying attention."

He reached out and snagged one of her braids, yanking on it--hard.

"Ow!" Daphne gasped, unable to keep herself from wincing and crying out. "Let go!" It looked like the Sherriff was right - Puck and Sabrina were too focused on what they were doing, and Kerdy was still getting ice cream...and no one else seemed to be paying attention to a little girl that they didn't know.

He yanked harder, enjoying the pain in her voice, right up until a hand grabbed his wrist and squeezed hard enough to make him let go. A split-second later, he had an ice cream cone in his face, cold chocolate chip mint going right in his eyes.

At the shout of pain and displeasure, Sabrina turned from where she was trying to get Puck to stop using her as a floating device. She had one of her hands on his face to push him while his arms remained wrapped around her waist, and her eyes went wide at the sight of Kerdy putting himself between Nottingham and Daphne. "Daphne!"

"Affni?" Puck repeated, his voice muffled and his sight blocked by her hand. He pulled his head away a bit to try and get a glimpse, and his eyes widened. "What's Rottingham doing here?"

Daphne stared at Kerdy, relief shooting through her body as she realized what had happened. "Kerdy...!" she exclaimed.

Sabrina ignored Puck, letting go of him and taking off in a burst of adrenaline and speed to get out of the pool. She still had other people and a lot of water to go through, though, so it took some time to get near the edge.

"Leave her alone," Kerdy said, taking more of a stand against someone bigger than himself than he ever had. "She didn't do anything to you."

Nottingham's scowl turned into a smirk, and then he suddenly jerked his arm up, making Kerdy stumble closer. As soon as Kerdy was within reasonable range, Nottingham smacked him with the back of his fist, sending him tumbling backwards and sideways towards the pool.

Kerdy gave a sharp cry as he slipped on the ground near the edge, falling right onto Sabrina as she tried to get out. The two of them fell into the water with a big splash. As this was happening, Nottingham wiped ice cream from his face and grabbed Daphne by the front of her swimsuit.

Kerdy's name died on Daphne's lips as she was unexpectedly grabbed by her swimsuit - she'd been looking over at Kerdy and hadn't realized Nottingham was reaching for her. She hadn't been able to avoid him.

She smacked at his arm. "Let me go!" she protested, fear and worry visible in her eyes. In the water, Puck was trying to get the side, and Sabrina and Kerdy, but he wasn't having much luck. Floating was one thing—moving in water was another.

Nottingham lifted Daphne by the front of her suit, tearing it a little. "Who's going to make me?"

Sabrina had just managed to get her head above water and one arm out of the pool, and she shouted while coughing, trying to make Nottingham let go of her sister. Kerdy surfaced a second later, coughing and choking.

A hand seized Nottingham's shirt, near the collar, yanking the material tight enough that the front dug into his skin. "I am," came the deep, growling voice of Mr. Canis - sounding more animal and feral than ever. His eyes burned with the color of the Wolf, his muscles were bulging, and there was a hint of fang in his mouth.

Mr. Canis gripped Nottingham's arm tightly. "Put her down, Nottingham," he growled.

Daphne's eyes widened, staring at Mr. Canis in surprise.

Eyes going wide, Nottingham dropped Daphne carelessly, immediately reaching for some kind of weapon. He didn't happen to have one on him for once, and there wasn't much nearby he could use.

People who had only looked over and assumed it was a little girl acting up for her father were now getting worried.

Sabrina hauled herself out of the pool, wincing from a sharp pain that rocked her entire body. She didn't notice a red stain at her hairline, soaking into her bangs from a gash on her forehead. When Kerdy had landed on her, her head had gone forward and smashed into the wall of the pool pretty badly. She just didn't happen to notice, because Daphne was in trouble.

"Daphne!" Sabrina called, rushing over and wrapping her arms around the younger girl, backing them away from Mr. Canis and Nottingham. Kerdy was out of the pool in the next moment, about to rush over to them as well--only to pause and offer Puck a hand out.

Puck didn't bother to object or refuse help - he just grabbed Kerdy and let him help him out of the pool. The moment Puck's feet touched solid ground, he ran over to the girls and stood in front of them.

Mr. Canis spun Nottingham so that he was facing him, and leaned in close. "Don't you ever come near the girls again," he snarled, eyes blazing. "Understand me, Nottingham?"

"Or what?" Nottingham challenged. "You can't stop me, wolf. You've been leashed."

Sabrina glowered at Nottingham, holding Daphne tightly.

Mr. Canis snarled again, leaning in close. "Do you really want to try me?" he asked, fangs glinting. When he gripped Nottingham's shoulder, sharp claws dug into his skin.

Nottingham leaned in close. "You can't watch them every second of the day," he threatened, not showing any signs of the pain racing through his body.

The growl that came out began deep in Mr. Canis' throat. It was almost inaudible at the start, but the volume rose swiftly until there could be no mistaking what it was.

The hair on his arms grew coarse and dark, thickening and growing until it wasn't hair at all, but fur. Fur that spread along his body like a wave, as his claws grew sharp enough to draw blood, and his eyes seemed less human. He grew in height, towering over Nottingham.

He seized Nottingham tightly, picked him up as though he weighed nothing, and threw him forward, not caring how hard, where he landed, or what he landed on. The threat to his family, so blatantly and boldly thrown in his face, had been the last straw.

"Mr. Canis!" Sabrina cried in alarm, jerking Daphne backwards. Others were screaming now, retreating and running from the pool.

Nottingham hit the side of the diving board and went into the water, falling face-first and not moving.

"Get back!" Kerdy cried, ushering Sabrina and Daphne farther away.

"Why?" Daphne asked, trying to resist as she looked at Sabrina and Kerdy. Puck was keeping himself between them and Mr. Canis, his back to them as he stared at the man-turned-Wolf. "It's Mr. Canis - he wouldn't hurt us!"

"Do what Kerdy says!" Puck snapped over his shoulder, his eyes never leaving Mr. Canis - or rather, the Wolf.

The Wolf turned at the sounds of the screams, eyes gleaming - so many people were running, and the prospect of a chase was wonderful.

Then his eyes focused on the two girls nearest to where he was - girls that he recognized. He grinned, sharp teeth gleaming in the sunlight. Deciding not to bother trying to convince Daphne anymore, Sabrina grabbed her by one arm and took off running to the bathroom stalls they'd used to change. Kerdy tried to help Puck act as a buffer between Mr. Canis and the girls, eyes going to Nottingham briefly in worry.

Not about to be thwarted from his prey by two mere boys, the Wolf charged forward, snarling and lunging.

He went straight for Puck - if the boys weren't going to get out of his way, then he would move them himself. Puck braced himself, reaching for...air. He didn't have his flute, nor did he have his sword - he hadn't brought either with him, because there was no place to put them in a pair of bathing shorts.

But he still didn't try to move - he had to slow the Wolf down somehow!

"PUCK!" Sabrina looked behind her, and she panicked.

Letting go of Daphne, and ever thankful that she had run at an angle, she squeezed her bracelet and gave a tug so hard that it yanked Puck backwards and off of his feet.

He fell towards the ground, well out of the Wolf's way.

This left a clear path right to the girls--something Sabrina hadn't thought of. And Kerdy didn't have enough time to put himself between them.

Puck hit the ground with a wince, landing on his arm. He pushed himself up, realizing what had just happened. "Idiot!" he shouted, more out of panic than anger - because now there was nothing stopping the Wolf.

With nothing in his way, the Wolf rushed for Sabrina and Daphne. Daphne's eyes widened, shocked at the sheer speed. There was no time to react as the Wolf slammed into Sabrina, pinning her down to the ground and snarling in her face. His claws clutched her shoulders, the weight of his body pressing her down onto the concrete of the ground. Sabrina felt the air being forcibly knocked from her lungs, her head smacking into the ground with a painful crack. Stunned and unable to do much other than hope that Daphne was getting a head start running away, she stared up into the eyes of a murderer.

Her own blue eyes were very round and wide from fear, blood welling up at the cuts on her shoulders from his claws. She couldn't even find the air to scream. And this encounter was more terrifying than her encounter with the Jabberwocky, or falling out of the sky in New York. The Jabberwocky had been easy to distract; the wolf wanted to kill its prey. Any prey.

"SABRINA!" Kerdy cried, rushing towards them.

Puck pushed himself to his feet, running towards them from where he'd landed. He felt like he couldn't breathe, let alone yell Sabrina's name.

Daphne didn't move - she couldn't. Her eyes were wide, and her body was frozen. She couldn't take her eyes off of the sight in front of her, which she was trying to tell herself wasn't real. "Mr. Canis?" she asked in a tiny voice.

The Wolf pulled his head back and opened his mouth, his eyes on Sabrina's throat.

Then he froze. His eyes widened slowly - and then he yanked back, releasing Sabrina and staggering backwards.

The change in him was visible - the fur vanished, as did his claws and fangs, and he was suddenly and swiftly nothing more than an old man again. He knelt down on the ground, his eyes wide, and sweat on his skin from the exertion of taking control of his body.

Drawing in a sharp breath, Sabrina pushed herself into a sitting position, blood trickling down her arms and onto her new bathing suit in the front and back. Her eyes were still very large, and she was shaking. She didn't know what had brought Mr. Canis back, but she didn't trust that he'd be able to do that every time.

Kerdy grasped Daphne's shoulders since she was standing, and Puck would probably want to tend to Sabrina. His eyes never left Mr. Canis, though. Daphne was shaking a little, and she looked at Kerdy for a moment. Then she looked back at Mr. Canis, staring at him the way the older boy was.

Puck rushed to Sabrina and knelt down, wrapping his arms around her protectively and steadying her as she sat up. "Idiot," he whispered. "Are you okay?"

The old man was still kneeling on the ground, and it was clear that he was shaking as well. He had his eyes closed in concentration - he was forcing the Wolf back as deep as it could go.

"I think so," Sabrina whispered, not commenting on the insult. Besides, the insults were a show of worry and affection. Usually.

Then she winced as the pain shot through her like a sudden electrical charge. It consumed all of her senses for several moments. "My shoulders... My head..."

She closed her eyes tightly, while Kerdy continued to hold Daphne back. He didn't want to take his chances with any of them going near Mr. Canis. He was dimly aware of others shouting near the pool; they'd fished Nottingham out, but he wasn't breathing. All in all, the transformation of Mr. Canis into the Wolf and back hadn't taken very long, even though like most tense moments, it felt like longer.

"We need to get you out of here," Puck said. "You need to be looked at." He didn't give Mr. Canis a second glance - his concern was Sabrina and making sure she wasn't going to pass out.

"Kerdy?" Daphne whispered. "Kerdy, what do we do?" She looked at him. She wanted to go help Mr. Canis...but Kerdy wasn't letting her go.

"Just give him space, Princess," Kerdy said soothingly.

"Does anybody know CPR?" a woman cried near the pool. "He's not breathing!"

Kerdy looked over, cursing in his head. "I'll be right back, I need to help that guy. Stay away from Mr. Canis for now, please, Daphne."

"Don't bother," Sabrina said, voice shaking. "We're better off without him alive."

Kerdy looked at her incredulously, then ignored her and rushed over to help Nottingham.

Mr. Canis slowly, finally looked up, looking at Sabrina, Daphne, and Puck. He was pale - the shock of what had almost happened had hit him full on. "Sabrina," he said. "Are you..." He didn't ask 'okay' - he could see the blood.

Sabrina quickly looked away, wincing at the half-question. It just reminded her that her head still throbbed and her shoulders still stung.

"I'm fine," she said, voice a bit snappy.

Clutching onto Puck, she forced herself to stand. The world immediately swam in front of her eyes, and she swayed.

"Whoa!" Puck tightened his hold on her, steadying her. "Easy - you're about to pass out from the look of it!"

Daphne swallowed hard. "Sabrina?" She looked at her sister, biting her lip.

"I'm gonna be sick," Sabrina whispered, putting her hand over her mouth dizzily. Before she could be sick, however, she ended up blacking out, losing consciousness in Puck's arms.

Around the same time, Nottingham came to, resuscitated with Kerdy's help.

Puck held Sabrina close, clenching his jaw. Why was it always Sabrina?

"Get her out of here," Mr. Canis said quietly. There was no way that this could be covered up - and he knew it. "And Daphne, too. Get away from here."

"Mr. Canis...!" Daphne looked at him.

Mr. Canis didn't look at her, but Puck did. "Come on, Marshmallow," he said. "We better go."

***.*.*.*.***

Elvis padded into the living room, sniffing his way along the ground curiously. He wasn't at all happy to discover the Sabrina and Daphne had left the house without him, especially because they'd taken some food with them and hadn't shared any. That just wasn't fair. There need to be some sort of Dog Law against it.

But at least Relda was still there. As long as Relda was there, Elvis could be satisfied. He spotted her sitting in her chair, and pranced over to her. He shoved his head up under her hand.

Relda smiled indulgently at her beloved dog, scratching him behind the ears. "Looking for the children, Elvis?" she asked. "I imagine they'll be back soon, they can't be spending all day at the pool and it'll be time for dinner soon."

Elvis wagged his tail, looking pleased at the response.

Then his ears perked up. He could hear sounds outside the front door, and one of them sounded like Daphne's voice!

But when the door opened and Elvis caught the scent of blood, he knew it wasn't a happy thing that they were all back.

Relda was out of the chair in a flash. "What happened?" she asked, her eyes widened as she took in the scene before her.

Daphne was shaking, and Sabrina was unconscious and bleeding – and her first thought was 'what could have happened during a trip to the pool?'

"Puck, put Sabrina on the couch. Kerdy dear, run to the bathroom and get the first aid kit," Relda said, pushing back her thoughts and focusing on Sabrina's condition first.

Puck placed Sabrina on the couch gently, his gaze going to the injury on her head. He didn't like the looks of it at all.

It was Daphne who explained what had happened, though she spoke in a hurried rush. "We were at the pool," she said, "and the Sheriff of Nottingham showed up and he tried to threaten me, and he grabbed me, and then Kerdy helped me but he got knocked into the pool and fell on Sabrina and I think she hit her head then, and then Mr. Canis showed up and he got the Sheriff to let me go but the Sheriff kept taunting him and then Mr. Canis turned into the Wolf!"

Relda, using the first aid supplies that Kerdy had returned with, paused in tending to Sabrina's wounds to stare at Daphne.

Puck took up the explanation. "He was crazed," he said bluntly. "He threw Nottingham into the pool, and then he came after us. Sabrina hit her head in the pool, but the other injuries - they were all from the old man."

"Mr. Canis didn't mean to hurt her!" Daphne said, clasping her hands in front of her. She hadn't wanted to leave Mr. Canis at the pool - but they'd ended up doing so. Puck had spent the trip back to the house focused on Sabrina, and Kerdy had been mostly silent, save for the moments when he'd been reassuring Daphne.

Relda gently pressed a piece of gauze against Sabrina's forehead, where the worst (or at least the one bleeding the most) of the wounds seemed to be. "Where is Mr. Canis now?" she asked softly.

"We left him at the pool," Puck said. "He told us to go."

It was at that moment that the phone rang. "_Liebling, _keep pressing this against Sabrina's forehead," Relda said, and Daphne hurried over to do so, tears of worry in her eyes. Elvis sat down next to her, whimpering softly and pawing at her leg to try and comfort her.

Relda went to the phone, half-expecting who would be on the other line.

And unfortunately, she was right.

"Relda Grimm? This is Officer Boarman."

Relda took a deep breath. "Hello, Officer Boarman, yes," she said. "What is it?"

"I'm calling to inform you that we've taken Mr. Canis into custody - he's down here at the station now." Boarman spoke stiffly, but his tone wasn't unfeeling; he hated to be giving Relda this information. He and Swineheart had had to flip a coin to see who would have to do it, in fact. "He's being held without bail. Mayor's orders."

Relda closed her eyes. "Thank you for letting me know, Officer," she said quietly. "May we come to see him?"

"Well, there's no law against you coming down - but I don't know if you'll actually get to see him or not," Boarman replied. "He's being treated as dangerous."

After hearing what had happened, somehow Relda was not surprised. Yet she still wished that this wasn't happening. "Thank you. I'll be right down." _'Hang in there, my friend,'_ she thought, as she hung up the phone.

It was around that moment that Sabrina stirred, sounding like she might still be sick. Her eyes fluttered open, hands moving to try and shove at anything touching her. "Nng..."

Kerdy glanced over, stiffening a bit. He immediately looked to the door, focusing on anything other than Sabrina, even though he was trying to help.

Daphne pulled her hand back. "Sabrina?" she asked anxiously. This was the first time that she had stirred since she'd passed out.

Puck was gone and back in a flash with a trashcan. Just in case.

Relda walked over to the couch. "Don't move too much, _liebling,"_ she said gently. "You're still hurt."

"Gonna barf," Sabrina groaned, turning on her side and groping for the trashcan. She'd barely gotten it to her face before she got sick, groaning louder.

Daphne reached out and pulled her hair back for her, while Puck held the trashcan. He didn't look the slightest bit grossed out.

Relda glanced over at Kerdy - noticing that he wasn't looking at Sabrina at all. And she had a feeling something else had happened at the pool that neither Puck nor Daphne had said.

Sabrina closed her eyes when she finished, grateful that Puck hadn't made a joke. "Thanks," she whispered. It was cute how Daphne had held her hair back, even though it was in a ponytail, and still wet.

"Do you have a flashlight?" Kerdy asked Relda, digging through the things he'd carried back from the pool until he found his shirt.

Relda looked at Kerdy in surprise, and then nodded. "Yes," she said.

She walked over to a cabinet against the wall and opened it, removing a long, slim flashlight. She handed it over to Kerdy.

Daphne turned to look at Kerdy in confusion. "A flashlight?" she asked.

"She hit her head twice, pretty hard, Princess," Kerdy said, going to Sabrina and tilting her head. "Sabrina, look into the light for me, okay?"

Sabrina blinked in bewildered confusion, but did as he asked. She had a hard time seeing, eyes filling with reflexive tears as she tried to keep them open.

After a moment, Kerdy clicked the light off. "She has a concussion. You shouldn't let her go to sleep. Anyway, I'm going home."

"A concussion?" Puck repeated. He'd had no idea what that was, or that they should have been looking for it.

"A head injury - Kerdy is right, we mustn't let her go to sleep," Relda said softly to Puck.

"You're going already?" Daphne asked Kerdy, biting her lip. She'd hoped Kerdy would stay around - but he'd been so quiet…

Kerdy hesitated at the sound of Daphne's voice, and turned to her. He put a hand on her head. "You've got a big heart, Daphne," he said. "I'm proud of you for that. Don't let yourself turn out like your sister's being right now, okay? I'll see you later."

Stunned, Sabrina sat up fully, and another wave of sickness hit her. She had to lay back down or risk throwing up again.

Daphne's eyes widened as she stared up at Kerdy. She'd missed the exchange concerning Nottingham - it hadn't registered to her what Sabrina had said. Now that she wasn't being distracted by Mr. Canis and the wolf, she could think about it and remember Sabrina's words.

Puck frowned at Kerdy, his hand resting on Sabrina to keep her from moving too swiftly.

Relda looked at Kerdy inquiringly. "Kerdy...?" What had he meant by that?

Kerdy looked at Relda, expression wary and unreadable. "I don't mean any offense. It's just... Sabrina, you really didn't care if Nottingham just... Died today?" he turned to the damp blonde girl as he asked the question.

"He's a jerk," Sabrina groaned. "He deserved it."

"It's not your choice to say who deserves to live or die," Kerdy snapped. "And if he'd died today, Mr. Canis would have been responsible. Did you ever stop to think about how _he_ felt?"

"He's killed before," Sabrina muttered. "He'd bounce back."

"I think talking about it at all was a mistake. I'm even more disgusted," Kerdy said coldly, turning and heading to the door with his bag. He left before anyone could respond to him.

Puck scowled slightly, looking away from Kerdy and back to making sure Sabrina didn't pass out. He didn't want to think about the conversation that had just happened. He pushed it from his mind, knowing full well that shoving it in the corner and dealing with it later wasn't the best approach. Instead, he reminded himself that Sabrina wasn't a hateful person._ 'It's not like she's the one who tried to kill him,' _he thought, justifying her actions. She just… Hadn't helped, or wanted the man to be helped.

Daphne bit her lip. Even though Nottingham had threatened her, had tried to hurt her - she didn't want him dead, either. Especially not if it would get Mr. Canis in trouble.

She looked at Relda. "Granny?" she asked softly. "What's happened to Mr. Canis?"

Relda touched Daphne's shoulder. "He's been arrested," she said softly. "They're holding him, without bail, at the station."

Sabrina didn't say anything, just lying there on the couch. She thought it was a good idea for Mr. Canis to be locked up. He'd lost control.

"Can we go to see him?" Daphne asked, unaware of her sister's thoughts.

"I'll go down first, and try to find out what's going to happen next," Relda said, stroking her hair. "You should wait for your parents to come home,_ liebling, _and stay with your sister and Puck."

Daphne looked disappointed, but she nodded. She didn't want to get in the way. "Okay."

Sabrina glanced away from her sister. Leave it to Daphne to be disappointed at not being able to visit a dangerous man.

She closed her eyes for a moment, recalling the conversation she'd had recently with Mirror. He had been feeling lonely, so she'd visited him a little more often. He seemed exceptionally sad with the fact that Veronica was due to give birth to another Grimm.

_"Isn't it a good thing?" Sabrina asked, tilting her head to the side. "I mean, you like Daphne. Imagine the new one'll be pretty cute, yeah?"_

_Mirror sighed, turning away for a moment while Sabrina sat cross-legged on the floor in front of him. He was seated in a chair. "It just reminds me that time passes outside of this realm, and I'm being left behind, Starfish."_

_Sabrina grimaced. "But we'll bring the baby to visit you."_

_He smiled, but it was strained. "If only my previous… owners… had been as kind as you."_

_"Well, I'll make sure everyone's nice to you," Sabrina promised. "From now on, kay?"_

_"Thank you. Now, tell me what's been bothering you. You've been distracted for over a week."_

_Sabrina fidgeted. "I'm worried about Mr. Canis. I told him I was pretty sure he had control, and he pretty much promised he was fine. But sometimes, I think things are setting him off. Especially if it involves Daphne."_

_"She does bring out the protective instincts in us all, doesn't she?" Mirror smiled again, before turning away._

"HEY, GRIMM, WAKE UP!" Puck's voice boomed near her ear - he'd seen her close her eyes and although he still didn't have a clue why she couldn't sleep, he'd decided not to ask questions. Besides, waking her up was fun.

"HOLY CRAP!" Sabrina sat up sharply, startled out of her flashback. The motion immediately made her sick, and she lurched for the nearest trash bin to throw up.

Puck held the trash can right up to her, looking pleased with himself. "Awesome, I can wake you up," he said, clueless that she hadn't been asleep.

Once she was done dry-heaving, she scowled up at him. "I wasn't asleep," she hissed. "Jeez."

Puck blinked, and then said defensively, "Well, you had your eyes closed, how I was supposed to know you weren't sleeping?"

She sighed in exasperation. "Fine," she sighed. "You're right. Sorry. Just don't shout in my ear, please?" Sabrina looked at him with large, slightly teary eyes. She wasn't crying, but the gagging had given her the reflex.

Puck's eyes widened. Oh, hell. Tears. Not the tears. He was starting to think that she was catching on to his weakness. Which would be tears.

Damn it!

"All right, not in the ear," he agreed. "I'll have to come up with another effective method then." He grinned at her.

"You don't even know why sleeping with a concussion is a bad thing," Sabrina muttered, managing a bit of a smile. She knew full well that Puck couldn't resist the sight of her crying. Since it was rare, she only pulled that one out on serious occasions or drastic times. Speaking of drastic… She looked over at Daphne, wondering how her sister was doing.

Daphne was sitting on the floor, petting Elvis - Relda had gone already to see Mr. Canis at the station.

Daphne paused - to which Elvis protested loudly - and looked at Sabrina. She'd noticed her sister was watching her. "If you weren't sleeping, what were you doing?" she asked, proving that she'd been paying attention.

"Just thinking," Sabrina promised. "I'm not tired." Then she paused and looked over at Daphne. "Daphne, about what Kerdy said..."

Daphne bit her lip, looking down at Elvis. "Yeah?" she asked. She'd been trying not to think too hard about what Kerdy had said.

"I'm not cold, you know," Sabrina said. "You know that, right? I mean... Nottingham was trying to hurt you."

"I know he was," Daphne said softly. "But... I don't think I would have wanted him to die. I think I would have rather have him behind bars."

Sabrina glanced away. Then she rubbed her temples. Her head was really hurting, and she didn't want to get into a debate. After all, the other thing on her mind was going to cause enough trouble, most likely. Still, she knew it had to be said. "I think we should get the weapon now, Daphne."

Daphne's eyes widened slightly, shock in her expression and her voice. "What?" she asked, staring at her sister.

Puck looked confused - this was the first he'd heard of such a thing. He didn't like not knowing things! "What weapon?" he asked.

"The weapon Hamstead gave us the key to--back when you got your wings ripped off," Sabrina said to Puck, while looking to Daphne. "I think it's time we used it."

***.*.*.*.***

**A/N:**

**Sky: **Wooo time to sleep. Sorry if there are any typos—remember if you see 'em, you can message us or review to let us know and we'll fix it. Just don't be rude, it's so uncalled for. Ayns and I aren't perfect, and we do miss things from time to time.

**Ayns: zzzZZZZzzzzZZzzzzZZZZZzzz**

**Sky: **Anyway, hope you liked it ^^ Brand spankin' new, and so much more to come! Thanks for the support via reviews and messages, we love to hear from you guys ^^ Also, if you're looking for a good read, go check out Schadenfreude62's stories. They're not getting nearly enough recognition like most of the good stories I like. /Cheer Mirror Mirror!


	15. Broken

**EDIT: Sky: Re-Added scene skips.**

**A/N:**

**Sky: **Sorry sorry sorrrrrrrrrrrrry for the late update! IRL is still chewing on me, and I've been sleeping a lot more recently :X Keeping this A/N short and sweet (LOL yeah right… short A/Ns? Us?). **Thanks to Vianna for requesting a scene where someone other than Sabrina gets hurt. **I have a tendency to hog the drama, and I control Sabrina XD So she's always getting beaten up. My bad. This might not be what you expected, but it's part 1 of Sabrina having to react to someone else being hurt.

**Also to Anonymous: **Eh, your delivery was jerkish. If you want to point out an error that's fine. Putting 'titled' was a typo, but not a spelling error or a grammar error. So rudely asking if it's 'that hard' to use spell check was just in bad taste. Same with advertising on other people's stories or whatnot.

**Ayns: **On my part, I'd like to address a question that some people seem to have - why I'm always asleep!

Sky and I have a tendency to straight through on preparing these chapters for posting - we'll start and then keep going until we're done. With our schedules this often means we aren't done until 2 am or later... for example, it's 3 am right now. So, by the time we're done....I'm passed out on the bed and Sky's left with the ending A/N. Hence the zzzzz...because that's usually what I'm doing by then! :D

**Sky: **So, we got nominated again for a 'best fic' thing. Lola Sveroski's (amg déjà vu!)

**Buuuut I asked that this fic be disqualified. **We JUST won one, so it'd be weird to jump into another contest. Thank you anyway though :D And Lara D, you're adorable. I hope the number 14 gives you lots of good luck! Also guys, the debate for Team Kerdy and Team Sabrina was awesome XD I'm personally Team Sabrina. Sssh.

**THANKS TO THE REVIEWERS!: amethystdolphin, Trickster Queen464, MOLLy, pixiewings00, aliceinblack, Puckabriina Lover, Schadenfreude62, IKidnappedSpock, BoOkLuvEr303, ZOMBIEfiedCrayons, Lara D, Ascaisil, msjezzi-bella, Queen Lucy of Narnia, Lumiere Nordiques, iD Sisters Grimm iD, Bluestocking inc., dog9girl, 4evsSmeds543, Vianna, Natalie43, Hippiegirl321995, chemicalsilver, Grrrgirl1, Anonymous, A CertainPeanutButterSandwich, Lara D (again), redfirepixie318, **and… **hfdrhjvfdhg? XD**

Also yes, my wonderful lunchy friend. You've said we're awesome, and we love it—hearing it again still rocks the socks. Thank you ^^ We'll try to reply to anon reviews in the A/N a bit more since we can't reply via review reply.

Enjoy!

***.*.*.*.***

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter Fifteen: Broken_**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

"What?" Daphne stared at her sister. "Why? We don't need it!" Her hand flew up to the front of her shirt, grasping the key that hung on a chain around her neck.

Puck was still not entirely sure about the so-called weapon. "What's this weapon thing supposed to do?" he asked.

"I don't know," Sabrina said impatiently to Puck. She touched her head, which was still throbbing. Thankfully, it wasn't bad enough that she needed stitches, but she was still disoriented. "But, Mr. Canis clearly lied about having it under control. No arguments Daphne, it's time to go find out what the weapon is."

"And then what?" Daphne scowled at her sister. "Use it on him? Mr. Canis isn't a bad person, Sabrina, and we can't hurt him!" She looked absolutely adamant.

"He's not a bad person, but he lost control," Sabrina said angrily. "We should at least go see what the weapon is--give me the key,"

She held her hand out expectantly.

Puck looked at Daphne, and he expected her to hand the key over to Sabrina. But Daphne placed her hand over the spot where the key was hidden under her shirt, and shook her head, moving back. "No," she said defiantly.

"Daphne," Sabrina said in a warning tone, standing up. The room spun in front of her, and she stumbled, knees buckling as one hand flew to her mouth and covered it.

Puck shot forward and grabbed her. "Sit back down," he said, in a commanding tone that indicated he didn't want to be argued with. "You're in no shape to be moving."

Sabrina groaned, feeling pathetic and dizzy. "Well..." She hesitated, then gave in. "Okay. I'm tired," she said, shaking her head and letting him sit her back down.

"Tired, yeah, but you don't get to sleep," Puck said firmly. He sat down next to her, keeping a firm grip on her in case she was still dizzy once she was sitting.

Sabrina didn't argue with Puck, knowing full well he was right, and she was glad he was looking out for her. But that didn't help the matter at hand.

"Daphne, don't be difficult," Sabrina said, knowing she was at a huge disadvantage. "We need to get the weapon."

"I'm not going to let you use a weapon on Mr. Canis," Daphne said, shaking her head. "We can help him. We can't hurt him!"

"I'm not saying we have to hurt him," Sabrina said--although she knew she was half-lying. If it came down to it, she would rather they hurt Mr. Canis than the rest of them get hurt. "Let's at least see what kind of weapon it is."

"I said _no!_" Daphne looked at Sabrina defiantly. They had no idea what this weapon was and she refused to let Sabrina even think about using it as long as they could still help Mr. Canis - and Daphne was sure they could; he hadn't hurt them, he'd gotten control first. Before Sabrina or Puck could respond, Daphne suddenly turned on her heel and ran for the stairs, rushing up them to get to her room. In Sabrina's condition, she knew her sister couldn't follow.

Sabrina started to get up again, forgetting Puck's orders and the effect it would have on her. She wanted to go after Daphne. Puck tightened his hold on her, and pulling her down again. "Sit," he ordered. "I'll hold you in my lap if I have to. Just let her go, you'll pass out if you get up again."

Sabrina scowled at him--although she did have a moment of 'maybe I should try it again and see if he does put me in his lap'. Then she pushed the thought away. "She's being stubborn."

Puck looked at Sabrina. "Like someone else I know," he said. "She's not going anywhere, you can talk to her again later. When you aren't going to keel over."

Sighing in defeat, Sabrina leaned against him. Already, a plan was formulating in her head. She didn't think she'd be able to get Daphne to give her the key. The only other option was one she knew well--take it, make a copy or use it, then replace it. "Fine. Talk to me so I don't fall asleep."

***.*.*.*.***

It was an hour or so before Henry and Veronica got home - during that time, Puck had remained with Sabrina, keeping a firm hold on her as he maintained a steady stream of chatter meant to keep her from falling asleep. At one point she had started to drift off, but he'd called his pixies to mess with her hair until she was sufficiently awake again, and they hovered nearby. They were on standby in case it happened again.

Henry took one look at Sabrina, and his eyes widened. "What happened?" he asked.

Sabrina couldn't keep the scowl off her face. Veronica had been at some pregnancy thing, and she'd made Henry go with her. "Mr. Canis turned into the wolf and tried to maul me. Daphne's being a brat, Kerdy thinks I'm too mean, and Granny went to the station where Mr. Canis is being held. Also I have a concussion and can't go to sleep."

Veronica hurried over, one hand on her swollen stomach as if the baby might fly out and she'd have to catch it. "Thank you for keeping her awake, Puck. Sabrina, do you need to go to the hospital?"

"No," Sabrina said instantly.

Puck couldn't help but look proud. "My pixies and I have been on the job," he said, clearly satisfied with his ability to keep Sabrina awake.

Henry's expression instantly turned serious at Sabrina's words. "Mr. Canis has been arrested?" he demanded, putting that together from Sabrina saying Mr. Canis had been taken to the station.

"Yeah," Sabrina said. "I bet Nottingham wasn't though. He was threatening Daphne--that's why Mr. Canis turned into the wolf. He almost killed Nottingham."

"Is Nottingham okay?" Veronica asked, checking over Sabrina's injuries.

"Don't know don't care," Sabrina said with a shrug.

"Fair enough, I suppose. Where's Daphne right now?"

"Up in our room," Sabrina answered. "Being a brat."

Puck glanced at Sabrina, eyeing her.

Henry looked at his oldest daughter, surprised. "What did Daphne do?" he asked, taken aback by her words.

"That's the second time you've called her a brat," Veronica said with disapproval.

Sabrina shrugged. "Never mind. My head hurts, that's all."

Henry walked over to her, looking concerned. "How long has it been since you got the concussion?" he asked.

"A few hours," Puck replied.

Henry nodded. "Veronica, hand me that flashlight, will you?" He looked at his wife, spying the light that Kerdy had used a bit ago just out of his arm's reach.

Veronica handed him the flashlight immediately, noting Sabrina's wary expression.

"What now?" Sabrina asked, looking up at her father and cringing.

"Just let me check your eyes," Henry said. "If they're okay, then you can go upstairs and rest, and take something for the headache."

"Really?" Sabrina looked relieved. "And you can tell Puck I get to sleep?"

"Promise," Veronica said. "If the concussion's gone, Puck can guard you while you sleep, and the rest of us can go find Relda."

"I can guard her?" Puck asked, already thinking of how to command the pixies to set up a perimeter around the house. There was a gleam in his eye.

"Please," Veronica said. "You know we can't trust anyone else with such a heavy task."

Sabrina wanted to roll her eyes. Veronica had caught on quickly about the whole 'praise and you shall receive' deal with Puck. Instead, Sabrina focused on her father, waiting for the light. Puck literally puffed up and preened, looking completely full and confident in himself.

Henry flipped on the light, shining it into Sabrina's eyes. After a moment he snapped it off. "Looks good," he said with a smile.

Sabrina smiled. "Thanks dad," she said, standing up and giving him a quick hug. "I'm probably just going to go to bed for the night. I'll see you guys in the morning, okay?"

Henry nodded, hugging her back. "Do you want to try and get some food down before you sleep? We can bring something up."

Puck jumped to his feet, ready to become Sabrina's bodyguard.

"I'm not hungry," Sabrina said, shaking her head. "Thanks though."

"Okay," Veronica said, studying her daughter for a moment. "Get plenty of rest. Puck, make sure she stays in her room, please."

Sabrina groaned inwardly, but Puck nodded shortly, and for a moment it looked like he was actually going to salute Veronica.

"Come on," Puck said, taking Sabrina's arm.

"Carry me," Sabrina teased, giving him puppy-eyes. "I'm still not feeling well."

The fairy king didn't hesitate in scooping Sabrina up in his arms, and promptly headed for the stairs. He didn't intend to let her out of his sight.

Sabrina blushed a little, then snuggled in his arms and closed her eyes. She hadn't been lying about being tired, or her head hurting. But she wanted to change out of her bikini (and the shirt Puck had thankfully given her, even if it had his face and love confessions all over it) and into pajamas.

"They're cute, aren't they?" Veronica remarked. She'd noticed Sabrina had been in a bikini, and hadn't commented. The shirt had reached her knees, anyway.

Henry scowled, but gave a grudging nod. "At least he keeps an eye on her," he said, as the two teenagers disappeared up the stairs. "Sometimes I think they both need to be watched, though."

"Lay off," Veronica teased. "You can bronze our next kid before he or she discovers the other gender. And in the meantime, there's Daphne. She should be coming down soon, if she's upset with Sabrina."

Henry nodded slightly - and right on cue, Daphne came darting down the stairs with a pillow clasped in her arms. She paused at the bottom of the stairs when she saw her parents. "Hi Mom, hi Dad," she said, and her tone was apprehensive. She'd changed out of her bathing suit into a pair of jeans and a T-shirt.

"Hey sweetie," Veronica said. "Your granny is probably talking with Boarman and Swineheart--do you want to go with us to find her?"

Daphne's eyes lit up, and she nodded. "Can I?" she asked. "And can Elvis come, too?" She seemed eager to go - though she didn't want to come right out and say that she didn't want to be around Sabrina right then.

"We should probably leave Elvis here to guard the house," Veronica said tactfully.

Elvis got up and walked over to Daphne, nuzzling her hands. Daphne dropped the pillow and scratched Elvis' ears. "Okay," she relented.

"Go get your shoes, sweetie," Henry said, looking at her in concern.

Veronica stood fully, putting her hands on her stomach. "Do you want to talk about why you and Sabrina are arguing?"

Daphne hesitated, her hands paused. She bit her lip. "Sabrina wants to do something and I don't want her to," she said.

Walking over, Veronica put her hands on Daphne's shoulders. She leaned down to kiss her on the head. "Your sister gets her stubborn streak from her father, sweetie, I'm sorry."

Henry scowled, and then shook his head with a smile. He wasn't going to deny that he was stubborn - it would only cause a stubborn argument with his wife.

Daphne looked up at Veronica. "What do I do, Mom?" she asked.

"Well, stick to what you think is right, even if it means standing up to her and arguing with her," Veronica said. "Being stubborn doesn't mean you're right or wrong. Everyone has their own view on right and wrong, Daphne. And no one is necessarily correct."

"So even if I disagree with her, I'm not wrong?" Daphne asked. "And neither is she?"

"Maybe," Veronica said, stroking her hair comfortingly. "One of you might be wrong, but if it's something you believe in, and there's no compromise..." she trailed off thoughtfully."I guess since I don't know what you argued about, I can't tell you."

For a moment, Daphne was tempted to tell her mother about the key. But then she decided not to - maybe it was better if her parents didn't get in the middle of it.

"Thanks, Mom," Daphne said, hugging Veronica again.

Veronica kissed her on the head again, then ushered her to get her shoes on so they could leave. She had a feeling it was something she wouldn't be able to get involved with for a while, and the girls would have to sort it out themselves.

***.*.*.*.***

The house was quiet that night, with everyone in a deep sleep after an extremely stressful day. Daphne had finally relented on avoiding Sabrina, feeling a little better after talking to her parents, and had decided not to sleep in the living room. She was curled up next to Sabrina on the bed, fast asleep. And it wasn't likely she would wake before she was ready.

The door was wide open, and Puck was sitting in a chair near the bed. He was curled up and fast asleep. His pixies were keeping an eye out on things, and he figured Sabrina wouldn't be moving much - so he'd let himself fall asleep without much worry.

It seemed like just about everyone in the house was sleeping. Resting up for the next day. Mr. Canis was still in jail, and William Charming was being pressured into putting him on trial for his crimes.

All of them--including the ones that had taken place hundreds of years ago.

Only one person remained awake. She'd made sure to wake herself up silently, and then map out her plan in her head while she made sure everyone was resting completely so she wouldn't get caught.

With the flashlight that her father had used on her hours earlier safely tucked at her side, Sabrina sat up and looked around. She didn't make a sound as she carefully located Daphne and unclasped the necklace holding the key. She made sure that the bed barely even moved when she got out, dressing in the dark and pocketing her stolen item.

_'Sorry, Daphne,' _Sabrina thought, shaking her head. She really did think that Daphne had their best interests at heart, it was just... Daphne was too trusting, and too naive. The real world didn't work that way, and no matter how much Sabrina wanted to shelter her from that truth, she had to do what was right.

She scowled at the pixies when some of them floated closer to see what she was up to, but since she wasn't in immediate danger, they didn't have much to do.

And besides, Sabrina was an expert at sneaking and escaping--by the time the pixies would realize something was wrong, she'd be long gone--and hopefully back.

She pushed her hair off of her face, tying it in a ponytail before she headed to the window. Better to go the fugitive way than risk Elvis catching her scent.

A moment later, the house was still and quiet again, as Sabrina Grimm headed for the bank.

It was several minutes later that the pixies realized something wasn't quite right. Sabrina was moving away from the house, and she was getting beyond the scope of the area that the pixies were supposed to keep an eye on.

After some quiet chatter between themselves, the pixies rushed to Puck.

He woke up to a cloud of blinking lights spinning around his head, and immediately tried to wave them away. "Down, soldiers," he whispered to them, not wanting to wake the girls.

The pixies spun around his head again, and then a unit flew over to the bed. Puck's eyes followed...and he saw the empty spot where Sabrina had been. Only Daphne lay there.

He narrowed his eyes, and the pixies flew back to him and began to whisper to him the direction Sabrina had gone in.

"Thanks," Puck said. He saw the window then, a window he was sure hadn't been open before he'd fallen asleep.

He was out the window and flying in an instant, zooming after Sabrina. He had no idea how much of a head start she had. '_Damn it, Grimm_,' he thought. '_You can't ever do things the easy way, can you?'_

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

"T-H one-nine-two," Sabrina read out loud, looking down at the little key in her hands. All in all, it hadn't been a very long jog to the bank. But how was she going to get in? She'd been reciting the number on the key to try and save time and keep focused the entire time she'd been alone, reminding herself that she was doing the right thing.

She still wasn't sure how to get in, even though she'd made it with plenty of energy. The bank was locked up, although the large windows would be easy to break. And though there were tons of safe deposit boxes, how long could it possibly take to find the one she needed and get out?

She looked around, then picked up a large rock, frowning. All she had to do was break a window and hurry in--but the alarm would probably sound. Oh well--she knew the cops wouldn't get there in time. She'd just have to be fast.

Sabrina pulled her hand back to throw the rock, closing her eyes as she launched it at the glass. A hand shot out and grabbed the rock before it could connect with anything. There was a familiar bracelet around the wrist.

Puck hovered in front of her. He tossed the rock straight up, catching it when it came down. "And just what do you think you're doing?" he asked, looking at her.

Sabrina blinked, and then looked up at him. "Puck? What are you doing here?" she asked. "Never mind that. I'm trying to get into the bank."

"Yeah, okay, I can see that," Puck said. He dropped the rock and landed. "And what were you planning on doing when you got in? Throw a rock at the lock until you got through?"

Sabrina averted her eyes, clutching the stolen key tightly in her other hand.

Puck frowned, noticing how tightly her one hand was clutching something.

"...what's in your hand, Sabrina?" he asked.

"Look, Daphne doesn't understand how serious this is," Sabrina said crossly, immediately getting defensive. "My shoulders are still sore, and Mr. Canis is still dangerous."

Puck didn't need to see what was in her hand now. "You stole the key from your sister?" he asked, giving her an incredulous look.

"Technically I borrowed it," Sabrina said. "Now are you going to stand there and lecture me about your specialty as a delinquent, or are you going to help me get into the bank?"

Puck looked at her for a moment. Then his wings fluttered, and vanished, pulling back into his body.

"Fine," he said. "Let's go into the bank." But there was a difference in his tone - he didn't sound particularly pleased.

Pretending she hadn't noticed the change, Sabrina put her hands in her pockets. "So what's your idea for getting in, if we're not using the rock?"

"There are quieter ways than a rock."

Puck pulled out his flute and trilled a few notes. Instantly, they were surrounded by pixies eager to get instructions.

"Open the way for us," he instructed them.

They rushed for the door - and a moment later, it swung open to let Puck and Sabrina inside.

"Thanks," Sabrina said, heading inside. "We're looking for a safe deposit box. It should have the number 'TH192' on it."

Puck merely glanced to the pixies at her words, not relaying the order verbally. A few of the pixies broke away from the main group and shot off in different directions.

Then one of them came racing back and flew circles around Puck. "This way," Puck said, motioning to Sabrina. "They found it."

Sabrina reached for his hand with her right one, intending to follow him to the deposit box. She was impressed with how smoothly it was going while Puck was helping her. They were making better time than she'd anticipated.

Puck took her hand and grasped it, and they followed the pixie to the specific deposit box.

He stopped in front of it and released her hand. "Well, there it is," he said. "What you came here for." Sure enough, it was a box marked TH192.

Sabrina let go of his hand at the same time, reaching into her pocket and pulling out the key. She opened the box, reaching in and hoping for something that'd be helpful--only to frown when she pulled out a small velvet bag with the words "The North Wind" written on it.

"What the crap?" she mumbled, moving to open the bag.

"The North Wind?" Puck read, tilting his head to the side to look at the words on the bag. "What the heck?" What was so threatening about a little bag? And nothing small enough to fit in that bag seemed threatening either.

"No idea," Sabrina shook her head and opened the bag. A moment later, she'd produced a Kazoo. "...A kazoo? The big weapon is a kazoo?"

Puck stared at it. "I knew those pigs were nuts," he said, "but...this really outdoes itself." He looked at her. "We broke into the bank for a kazoo."

"Do you think I should try it out? See if it actually does anything?" Sabrina asked, looking up at Puck.

"Sure, why not?" Puck said with a shrug of his shoulders. "I mean, what's the worst it could do? Hurt our ears?" He was still looking at the small item as if it was a joke.

Sabrina lifted the kazoo to her lips and blew into it. She had a moment to realize that something was very different, the familiar tingle of magic shooting through her and giving her a rush. But just because she'd realized something was different didn't mean she could do anything about it.

The sound that came out wasn't the annoying buzz that a kazoo was always known to make--instead, the windows of the bank shattered, the walls crumbling like construction paper, crinkling and collapsing.

She wanted to stop, but the magic felt so good, she kept up for a moment longer. Unaware that the ceilings were breaking and collapsing all around them, the alarms going off and glass flying in every direction. None of it seemed to be going near her. Each 'one more minute' she kept thinking got longer and longer. The magic was racing through her, making her feel wonderful.

Puck's eyes had widened the moment that the windows shattered and the building began to deteriorate around them. "SABRINA!" he shouted, having to raise his voice loudly to be heard over the sound of the collapse. His wings extended on reflex, but they would do no good.

That was when he realized that Sabrina wasn't stopping, and he swore. He reached for her with the intent of tearing the kazoo out of her hand - they had to get out of there before they were crushed!

His hand couldn't get to her--whirlwinds tore through the air around them, preventing him from physically reaching her. She couldn't seem to stop, seemingly oblivious to the destruction.

Puck's eyes went to Sabrina's hand in a matter of seconds - and lit up at the sight of a familiar bracelet around her wrist.

Without thinking about it for more than a second, he grasped his own bracelet and squeezed, yanking her towards him. Sabrina cried out in shock when her hand was wrenched away, taking the kazoo with it. The look in her eyes was a little glazed, but then they filled with realization.

The glass was still shattering, several pieces cutting into Puck's arms and back. When she looked up at him, a cry escaped. "Puck!" She didn't know how he'd gotten so hurt, but the glass had cut his cheek and chest too.

The ceiling rumbled, about to fall on them both.

"Don't just stand there!" Puck shouted. He didn't seem the notice the cuts, or the blood that was streaming from them - even though it was trailing down the side of his face.

He grasped her arm and turned towards the wall. Or rather, where the wall had been - at least half of it was gone, and it was crumbling fast. He couldn't risk flying her out. Not with the way the building was coming down around them. "Come on, we gotta get out of here!"

Sabrina tripped initially, gripping his arm just as tightly, her eyes growing wide. "Wh... What happened?" she cried, following him without question as they tried to make a path through the wreckage. Each time it looked like they found a way out, something else would explode or collapse in the way.

Safe deposit boxes were exploding around them, and the first of the debris started to actually hit Sabrina. A chunk of metal caught her on the already wounded shoulder, and a large piece of glass narrowly missed her eye, cutting several strands of her long hair in the front. Puck clenched his jaw, and yanked her in front of him so that they were moving in a line instead of side by side. "Keep your head down and keep going," he ordered, using his body as a shield over hers when he realized that she was getting hit.

Something - he couldn't tell what - slammed into his leg and almost made him stumble as pain sparked in his knee. He clenched his jaw and kept his eyes straight ahead. His focus was getting Sabrina out.

Sabrina brought one arm up as if to shield her eyes, unaware of just how bad their situation was. "How did this happen?" she cried.

She stumbled over some metal chunks that had once been safe deposit boxes, nearly tripping twice. When they got to the main doors, the ceiling collapsed around them, nearly crushing them both. There was a very narrow path out, and they didn't have much time.

Puck's heart was going double time, and he didn't have time to tell Sabrina that it was the kazoo that had caused this damage.

"Go!" he shouted, pushing her towards the exit at the end of the path. "Run!" He pressed his hand against her back, urging her on. "We don't have time!"

The doors were straight ahead - if they just ran, without stopping, they might make it. And that was what he was focusing on. Sabrina did as she was told, clutching the kazoo and the bag tightly in one hand. She was almost out the door when the rest of the walls collapsed, and the ceiling came down hard.

Puck had a split second to make his decision.

Gritting his teeth, he shoved forward with the hand on Sabrina's back, putting all of his strength into it as he pushed her towards the doors.

Sabrina gave a cry of shock and pain as she cleared the collapsing building, hitting the ground and rolling several feet. The alarm was still going when she managed to push herself up on her hands and knees, trembling. "Puck, are you okay?"

A frown marred her features when he didn't answer, and she looked up. "Puck...?"

The only answer was the ringing wail of the alarm system, and the settling dust from the collapse. Her eyes scanned the wreckage, and a strangled cry caught in her throat. One of Puck's hands was visible—but that was all. The rest of him was buried.

"PUCK!" her voice came out shrill.

Shoving the kazoo into the bag it had come from, she raced to his side and tried to uncover him. "PUCK!"

Desperate and terrified that he wouldn't ever answer her again, Sabrina began clawing at the debris covering her boyfriend, ripping into her hands and ignoring the pain. Thankfully, he wasn't buried very deeply, and she was able to pull him free before help arrived.

"Puck?" she cried, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him free. He wasn't moving. He was completely limp, soaked with blood, and bruised. The look on his face was one of pain and discomfort.

"Puck, wake up!" Sabrina gasped, dropping the bag containing the North Wind, and cradling Puck in her arms. She was on her knees, tears dripping from her cheeks to his as she held him. "I'm sorry, Puck please! Please wake up! Don't die!"

Her voice cracked, their blood mixing from the cuts on his body and the wounds on her hands. She was crying in panic, sobs shaking her thin frame. She was convinced that Puck was dead, and it was all her fault. The clenching in her heart made her feel like she might faint. She was far too distraught to realize that he was breathing, and that he had a pulse. All she could do was hold him and cry, promising herself over and over that she'd do anything if he was okay.

***.*.*.*.***

"Sabrina!" Daphne's panicked voice rang out as she rushed into the hospital with her parents, and Relda. Daphne still wore her pajamas - when they'd gotten the phone call that they were needed at the hospital, Daphne had rushed for the car without even getting changed.

Her eyes were wide, and there was fear in her voice - they didn't know Puck and Sabrina's exact condition.

Henry reached out and grasped Daphne's shoulder. They were in the emergency room. Swineheart had called them, informing them that they needed to get there immediately. He hadn't elaborated on details - only that Sabrina and Puck had been in an accident and were being taken to the hospital for treatment.

From inside the hospital room, Sabrina didn't even react to Daphne's voice. She had the bag in her pocket, containing the kazoo, both hands gripping one of Puck's. She'd refused to leave his side the entire time they'd been at the hospital, forcing doctors to work around and sedate her. Still, she clutched his hand, tears sliding silently down her cheeks. The sedation hadn't done much to her other than make it harder to do more than cry. The magical rush was still pulsing through her, keeping her alert.

She had minor cuts and bruises--that was what she'd heard them say. Minor cuts and bruises.

They still weren't sure if Puck's head injuries were fatal.

Another soft cry left her. She felt like her throat was closing up, and it was choking her.

Puck lay in the hospital bed, eyes closed and his body completely still. Bandages were wrapped around his head, and bruises were already blooming on his skin.

He hadn't moved since he'd been unburied from the rubble of the bank. His cuts had been stitched up and bandaged, but it was the injuries that couldn't be seen that the doctors were most concerned about.

"She's in here."

The voice was Swineheart's - while Boarman was looking into the collapse of the bank, he had remained at the hospital to keep tabs on Puck and Sabrina's condition. When the Grimm's arrived, he'd flagged them down and brought them to the hospital room.

Daphne was in near tears - she was sure she was going to find her sister lying in a hospital bed and not moving.

When she saw Sabrina sitting next to the bed, she nearly threw herself at her in relief. It wasn't until she got there that she realized the bed was still occupied...and she stopped short, staring at Puck in shock.

Relda let out a soft gasp, standing next to Henry and Veronica and looking at Sabrina and Puck. _"Liebling..." _

Henry strode forward to Sabrina's side, and put his hand gently on her shoulder. "Sabrina?" he said softly.

Sabrina remained silent, tears sliding down her cheeks even faster. She didn't respond, not even when Veronica came over and put a hand on her head. "Sabrina..."

Daphne pressed her fists against her mouth, staring at Puck on the bed. She looked over at her sister - there was something dark around Sabrina, casting a shadowy, gloomy pallor over her sister. No one else seemed to take note of it, but it was clear and easy to see for Daphne.

A moment later, the doors opened again. Kerdy was wearing sweatpants and nothing else--he was even barefoot, and breathing heavily. His golden hair was disheveled from sleep, body lean and slender. While he usually wore a baggy t-shirt to hide the fact that he wasn't exactly muscled, he was definitely defined, and well on his way to building a bigger frame. The only time anyone had seen him this way had been at the pool, but even then it wasn't as obvious or as bright as it was now under the fluorescent hospital lights. Still, his body hadn't seemed to change much since they'd met him.

"Kerdy?" Veronica asked in surprise, turning to the door.

"I had a bad feeling," Kerdy said shakily. "I couldn't sleep, and then I just knew... What happened?"

"Did you run all the way here? Please sit down," Veronica fussed, forcing him to take a seat near the hospital bed.

When Kerdy had rushed into the room, Daphne had turned to look at him, and her eyes widened slightly. It was as though Kerdy's mere presence was lighting up the room - and she had never been more relieved to see anyone before. Her fear for Puck was still there, but knowing Kerdy was there too made it easier.

"That's what we'd like to know," Henry said. He looked at Swineheart.

"The bank collapsed," Swineheart said. He shook his head. "We're still determining the cause. But whatever happened, these two were there." He looked at the bed. "We found Sabrina and Puck outside the collapsed building - Sabrina was pretty hysterical but didn't look too bad." Swineheart spoke quietly, but it was easy to catch his words. "Puck looked like he'd been in the middle of it - we're pretty sure she pulled him out, but we couldn't get much out of her for awhile."

"The bank?" Relda asked, clasping her hands in front of her. "At this hour?"

"What were you doing at the bank, Sabrina?" Veronica asked sternly.

Sabrina wiped her eyes again, trembling. "We didn't mean to," she whispered. "I... _I _didn't mean to."

When Daphne had heard the word 'bank', she'd turned to stare at Sabrina.

"Didn't mean to do what?" Henry asked, his hand still resting on Sabrina's shoulder. He could feel her trembling under his touch, and he tensed. What had happened?

"Sabrina," Kerdy said quietly. He got up and went to her. "Come on, you can tell us. Look, I'm sorry about how I acted earlier, I was just upset. I'm not mad at you or anything. You're with friends--and Puck is going to be okay."

Sabrina shook her head, wiping her eyes. She knew what was coming--and pretty soon, everyone in the room was going to hate her.

_"Liebling, _tell us," Relda said, a slight pleading tone in her voice. She was desperately worried about her granddaughter, as well as the boy in the bed whom she considered to be like a grandson.

"Sabrina?" Daphne asked softly. Her hand had gone to her neck. And she had noticed the distinct lack of a key that had been hanging there since she'd been given it. Her throat tightened immediately.

Sabrina looked up at Daphne's voice, eyes going to her little sister. Even without the disturbing black shadow that only Daphne could see, the look in Sabrina's eyes gave it away. She bowed her head and turned back to Puck.

Tears sprang up in Daphne's eyes. Tears of hurt and betrayal. "How could you?" Daphne asked. "How could you? I told you 'no,' Sabrina!"

She gripped the front of her pajama top tightly, ignoring the looks like her father and grandmother were giving her.

Veronica paused, looking to Daphne now. Likewise, Kerdy had moved away from Sabrina, kneeling by Daphne and looking up at her. "Princess? What's wrong?"

The eldest Grimm sister remained silent.

Daphne looked at Kerdy, her eyes filled with tears. "She took it," she said. "She took the key." She didn't have to explain what she meant to Kerdy. He'd understand. He always understood.

Kerdy's blue eyes widened, filling first with disbelief. Then anger.

He pulled Daphne into his arms, hugging her tightly and glaring in Sabrina's direction. "So that's how it is now, Sabrina? Daphne doesn't agree with you so you go behind her back? Lie? Steal? And it's okay because you're older than her?"

"Shut up," Sabrina whispered, clutching Puck's hand tightly. "It wasn't like that! Daphne has no idea how much danger we're constantly in. It must be nice to see the world as sunshine and rainbows, but it's not like that!"

"Listen to yourself!" Kerdy snapped. "You stole from your sister--she trusted you!"

Veronica looked at Henry in silence--she recalled her conversation with Daphne, and realized that Sabrina was the one who'd done the wrong thing. Regardless of her intentions. Henry met his wife's eyes, his expression grim.

Daphne threw her arms around Kerdy and pressed her face against his chest, closing her eyes tightly. She couldn't believe Sabrina had betrayed her that way...that her big sister, the one she looked up to the most, had just disregarded her feelings.

"I want to know exactly what's going on," Henry said, and his tone was stern. "What key?"

"The key for the weapon," Daphne whispered, her voice muffled against Kerdy.

Kerdy hugged Daphne tightly, stroking her hair in a brotherly fashion. "A key that was given to Daphne. It unlocked a safe box in the bank that held a weapon--something specifically for Mr. Canis. Daphne didn't want to use it."

Sabrina bit her lip so hard she tasted blood again. Her hands were both bandaged, and they stung when she moved, but she still held onto Puck. "Mr. Canis nearly ripped my throat out. It's nice that Daphne wants to trust him, but he's dangerous."

"Sabrina," Veronica whispered. "Was the key given to you or Daphne?"

Sabrina didn't answer her.

Daphne tightened her grip on Kerdy at Sabrina's insistence that Mr. Canis was dangerous. She didn't want to help him...she just wanted to keep him away.

Relda closed her eyes and shook her head slightly, lowering it.

"It was given to Daphne, wasn't it?" Henry asked quietly, when Sabrina didn't answer.

"Mr. Canis could turn into the Wolf and rip off one of her arms, and she'd still think that sunshine and bunnies would save the day," Sabrina snapped.

"Sabrina, knock it off!" Kerdy said. "Can't you see that you don't even care about your sister's feelings? You're not the only one she has anymore, and you're not the adult! Your parents, grandmother, and uncle love you both very much, you don't have to be the one in charge! You haven't been for a long time!"

"Shut up, Kerdy! Just shut up!" Sabrina shook her head, clutching Puck tighter. "I don't have to listen to a stupid Everafter about this, it's not even your business!"

A very odd and uncomfortable silence filled the room. The strange glow around Sabrina changed from pure black and gray to black and muddy green. It seemed to pulse blood red.

Daphne pulled her face back from Kerdy, staring at Sabrina with wide eyes. She'd been struck speechless by her sister's words - and she couldn't take her eyes off of the glow. She shuddered in Kerdy's arms. The blood red pulse was frightening.

"How can you say that, Sabrina?" Daphne whispered, her voice shaking. "After everything Kerdy's done for us... is that all he is to you? An Everafter?" Tears slipped from her eyes. "Puck's an Everafter too!"

"That's what it all boils down to, huh Sabrina?" Kerdy said quietly. "We're still just filthy Everafters in the back of your mind. Everyone but Puck. That's why you didn't care what happened to Nottingham, and that's why you don't care what happens to Mr. Canis."

"I didn't mean it that way," Sabrina whispered, looking away. "And I do care what happens to Mr. Canis. But he lied to me, and he attacked me. It could have just as easily been Daphne he attacked."

"Keep telling yourself that," Kerdy shook his head. "But deep down, you know it's not true."

"Yes it is," Sabrina insisted. The red in her aura died down a little--dimming as her rage did. But the black and muddy green remained, like ugly splotches. It was like the lies and the inner doubts were staining her.

"No, it's not," Daphne said, shaking her head. "I was there, too, Sabrina. Mr. Canis stopped himself. You weren't hurt any worse because he got control and stopped himself from hurting you more. He was trying to protect us - we should be helping him, not looking for a weapon to use against him!"

"And you should be considering every option, even though it's a weapon! You wouldn't even go look at it!" Sabrina said.

Veronica slapped Sabrina across the face, very suddenly and very sharply.

It was so sudden and unexpected that Sabrina froze, staring up at her mother with wide eyes. The room went silent again, for several moments.

"Mom!" Daphne gasped, staring at Veronica in shock. She couldn't remember the last time their mother had slapped one of them.

Both Relda and Henry looked at Veronica in surprise as well - but neither of them thought that she was out of line. Something or someone needed to get Sabrina's attention.

"...Mom?" Sabrina looked up, eyes wide and voice small.

"Sabrina Grimm," Veronica said, shaking her head. "You're right, that you both should have considered the options--you're both detectives and it's your responsibility. But Sabrina, you are not a thief, or a liar. We raised you better than that. And I can't believe you would betray your sister's trust that way! You have a lot of thinking to do, young lady."

Sabrina blinked back tears.

"I'm sending you home right now," Veronica continued. "You need to think long and hard about the way you act, and the way you treat people. Do you understand me?"

"But Puck," Sabrina whispered, protesting.

"Will remain here, and you'll know immediately if there are any changes. He probably won't wake up tonight, and if you behave, you can come back tomorrow. I don't think I need to remind you why he's here in the first place."

Flinching, Sabrina chose not to argue, turning her face away.

"I'll drive you back to the house, Sabrina," Henry said, looking at her. "Let's go." He was severely disappointed in his daughter's actions - he could understand her logic in her concern about Mr. Canis, but he couldn't support her actions on how she had chosen to handle it.

A part of Daphne felt bad for Sabrina, for being made to leave Puck - but another part of her was still hurting terribly from what had happened.

And their mother was right. Puck was hurt because of what Sabrina had chosen to do. But Daphne didn't say that out loud - Sabrina was already aware of it and didn't need it repeated again.

As they moved to walk past, Daphne suddenly turned, holding her hand out. She remained mostly hidden in Kerdy's arms, still clutching him with one hand.

Sabrina hesitated, then reached into her pocket and pulled out the bag, dropping it into Daphne's hand without a complaint. She didn't look back as her father led her from the room.

***.*.*.*.***

It was cold. That was the first thing Sabrina thought as she stood alone in the room. She felt like a prisoner, forcibly restrained from being next to the one person who kept her from breaking down. Essentially, she supposed, that was the point.

Her body was still aching and sore from the abuse it had gone through that day, from concussions and claws, to explosions and digging her half-dead boyfriend out of a collapsed building. She was sure if she made it to the bed and just curled up in the warm blankets, she might be inclined to sleep for a week.

_'You don't deserve to rest. You're a monster.'_Tears pricked her eyes again, and she closed them tightly, trying to hold it back. "I'm not a monster," she whispered. "I was trying to do the right thing."

_'The right thing—what a joke. Kerdy's right. You can say all the pretty things you want, but it all comes down to one simple truth. You don't trust any of them. You don't trust Daphne to make the right decisions because she's younger. You don't care how she feels, because she's just a kid to you. And everyone but Puck who has Everafter blood? They're just not worth it, are they? Why should you care what happens to any of them? You can just say you care about them to save face, but we both know the truth, don't we Sabrina? You don't care about anyone else.'_"No," Sabrina shook her head, trying to push away the voice in her mind. The voice that came out of her mouth, and voiced all of the things she wanted to deny.

_'You're all alone, anyway. No one understands what it's like. And now you've killed the only person who could tolerate you.'_"He's not going to die," Sabrina whispered. "He's not going to die!"

She sank to her knees, clutching the blankets and burying her face in them. The dull sting of her own injuries didn't even register anymore, not with the cold fear gripping at her chest. She didn't know what she'd do if Puck didn't make it. She didn't' even want to consider it.

"Please," she whispered, voice muffled as she began to cry harder, all of the emotions releasing in a rush. "I'll try to be a better person…! I won't lie, or steal, or go behind anyone's back…! I'll try to listen to Daphne more, I'll do all my chores, I'll try to stop seeing Everafters as different from us… I'll do anything…"

Her voice cracked, and a soft sob escaped her. "I'll never touch anything magic again, and I'll trust Mr. Canis, and I'll eat anything Granny cooks… Just please…"

Sabrina sobbed again, the motion making her choke and cough before she could continue. "Please don't let Puck die."

She closed her eyes tight again, chest tightening until it physically hurt not to let the sobs out. She wasn't sure when the last time she'd cried so hard was, but she didn't care, either. She'd never been the direct cause of someone she loved being so hurt. Nothing had ever compared. Not the time she'd thought she caused Mr. Canis' death, and not the time Puck had gotten his wings ripped off while he'd been protecting her. This was different. She didn't even hear her inner voice anymore, and she wasn't sure why she was pleading out loud. But she couldn't stop, letting it out in the privacy of her room, letting herself be the scared little girl that she hadn't been in a long, long time.

"Please," she whispered again, not bothering to wipe her eyes.

She meant every word. She would try harder than ever to change her ways if Puck pulled through. He just couldn't leave her. He had to get better.

He _had _to.

***.*.*.*.***

**A/N:**

**Sky: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzz**

**Ayns: **O,o Whoa... ::looks around:: Am I really awake and Sky's asleep?

Well! This is certainly a reversal - but I'm about to fall asleep on the keyboard myself, so I'll just wrap this up. :3 Thank you very much for reading our latest installment of No Matter What, and we look forward to hearing what you think. Reviews are candy, and we love them.

Good night!

zzzzzZzzzZzzzzZz.................

**Sky: **zzz…zzzzCandy?zzzZzz


	16. Reconciliation

**A/N:**

**Sky: **We're baaaaack! To start this off, let me just say, if you have a weak stomach/scare easily/don't want to be scarred for life, just take our word for it on the references to Gilles de Rais, and **don't go looking him up. **I seriously wish I hadn't, it disturbed me. ME. I know, I'm shocked too.

**Ayns: **T-T I, unfortunately, did have to go look him up while doing this chapter even after Sky told me not to.

She's right. Stay away from Gilles de Rais. There are sometimes that I wish we weren't so detail-oriented and accurate, and this is one of those times.

That said, welcome to another chapter! ^^ I have another particularly happy scene within this chapter, and I'm hoping other people will enjoy it as well.

**Sky: **Despite the gloomy, this chapter made me smile a lot, I love it ^^ But to address an **anonymous review… **People, there's a huge warning on the very first A/N that this story isn't all cuddles and bunnies. Yes, it's morbid and dark. And it's only going to get worse. If you (or your sister) can't handle it, **THEN STOP READING THE STORY.**

**Ayns: **We don't really censor ourselves all that much when we write - if a story calls for something dark, then we write something dark. The original Grimm fairytales were actually pretty freaky in themselves, so adding a darker element to the Sisters Grimm isn't all that farfetched. **Please keep this in mind when you read our story.**

**Sky: THANK YOU TO OUR REVIEWERS ^^ **We reply to all signed in reviews, and still adore our anonymous ones (mostly) So THANKS TO: **amethystdolphin, obsessedwithbooks, Trickster Queen464, Schadenfreude62, fanfgan5, msjezzi-bella, Lara D, 4evsSmeds543, minus your plus, Grrrgirl1, Alice Starr, Lumiere Nordiues, Tanglenight, IKidnappedSpock, dog9girl, no one, Bluestocking inc., redfirepixie318, Viva-Musica, chemicalsilver, A CertainPeanutButterSandwich, RainbowofSmiles16, molly, Ascaisil, FaminaSG, Harmony352, extraordinary#uno, curlscat, aliceinblack, **and **Carly. ^^**

**Ayns: **And now, without any further adieu (I have_ always _wanted to say that), we give you Chapter 16. ^^ And yes, I'm going to be asleep by the end of the chapter, as I had jury service (pity me) and I am thoroughly zonked.

***.*.*.*.***

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter Sixteen: Reconciliation_**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

_Everything hurt._

_That was the predominant thought in Sabrina Grimm's mind as she struggled to open her eyes. She felt heavy and weighed down, aches shooting through her joints in fiery little jolts. Something wet slid over her arm, and with a pained whimper, she managed to force her blue eyes open._

_The sky was black, darkened and ashy, as if the world had caught fire and burned away the light and life while her eyes had been closed. Her eyes flickered to her arm, where a sea of crimson was washing over her pale skin._

_She quickly yanked away from it, pushing herself to her feet. That action seemed to hurt more than she expected, and a soft cry escaped her lips. "Puck?" she called. "Daphne? Mom? Dad?"_

_There was nothing to lean on, just a void of despair and darkness stretching out as far as she could see. The ground was cold and brittle stone, looking like it belonged to an old castle._

_"Is anyone out there?" Sabrina's voice was hoarse, and she started coughing the moment she finished calling out. She covered her mouth with her hand, only to jerk it back when she caught sight of it._

_Her hand was covered in small cuts, a ring of bruises on her bare wrist that looked like they were caused by a large hand. Blood spotted her palm, and after several minutes of taking deep breaths, she realized the blood had come from her mouth._

_She searched over her arm next, eyes widening when she saw the cuts continuing up past her elbow. The blood staining her arm had come from the ground, but when she looked down, she didn't see any blood. Just the same mossy stones._

_The fire in her blood raged on, making her stumble again and reach out, as if to lean against the darkness and feel it support her._

_"Just one more taste," a voice whispered in her ear. "One more, and I promise not to take anymore."_

_Sabrina cried out in revulsion, whirling around. There was no one there, just the memory of the whisper._

_Taking another deep breath, she turned back the way she'd been facing, screaming in shock when she saw the girl standing there. The girl was young, probably Daphne's age, and very familiar looking. Her hair was short and dark, a lost expression of regret and sympathy on her face._

_As she reached up to pull her red hood over her hair, Sabrina felt the worst shock of pain course through her, and she screamed again, falling to her knees._

_She screamed until her throat felt raw, trembling violently and squeezing her eyes shut. For some reason, she felt like she was only getting a fraction of what the pain was supposed to feel like. She also didn't care; it hurt so badly that she just wanted it to stop._

_When that wave of agony receded, she opened her eyes again. The girl was nowhere to be found._

_"One more," the voice whispered._

_Sabrina cried out and swatted at the air around her, forcing herself to stand and begin moving. She was barefoot, cuts along her feet and ankles that she tried to ignore. Every step felt like she was dragging herself through barbed wire and broken glass, but the adrenaline forced her to keep going._

_Something was calling to her, guiding her to an area where the pain began to dim. At the touch of warmth to her hand, she turned her head to see that she had grasped an object. She just wasn't sure what it was._

_"One more," the voice whispered again. "It'll be the last time…"_

_"STOP IT!" Sabrina cried, turning again. And then she froze._

_She was staring into a very large mirror, taking in her own appearance. Her body had been put through hell, cut and bruised. She wore nothing but a plain white dress that had no sleeves and cut off at her thighs, more like a shift than anything else, and it was stained red in many places._

_The object in her hand was a wand, and it glowed._

_She tore her eyes from it, looking up to her own face again in the mirror, as her lips curved into a smirk._

_"Just one more taste," the voice whispered, and her lips moved to match it._

_She was the only one talking._

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

Henry lay awake in bed for a full hour before he got himself up the next morning. At first he had been afraid that Sabrina would try to slip out again - but after half an hour, he was sure that she wouldn't. He'd heard soft sobs coming from her room, and he knew that what had happened to Puck was eating at her.

It had taken him nearly three hours to fall asleep, listening for any trouble with Sabrina, and then he'd woken up before he'd intended. And alone in his room, without anyone else there to distract him or talk to him, he'd been left with his thoughts.

He had said very little the night before at the hospital, leaving Veronica to do most of the speaking. The truth was, though, that he agreed with much of what Sabrina said. Mr. Canis was a good person - Henry knew this, and believed it. But inside Mr. Canis was something that wasn't at all good, and the old man did not have full control over it. While he admired his youngest daughter's heart, the truth was… Daphne couldn't fully grasp the reality of the situation. It was noble to want to help Mr. Canis - but safety had to come first.

And though he didn't condone that Sabrina had stolen from her sister, he could understand it. He could not honestly say that if it had been himself and Jake, he wouldn't have made the same choice and done the same thing. Unfortunately, Sabrina's choices had been dangerous and dishonest, so instead of speaking up on her behalf, he'd let Veronica say what had needed to be said, hoping his daughter would learn from her mistakes. Learn before one of her good intentioned ideas got her killed.

Taking a deep breath, he rose from bed and got dressed for the day. He was worried about Sabrina though - and he hoped he hadn't made a mistake with leaving her be the night before.

He left his room and headed for Sabrina's. "Good boy, Elvis," he murmured, reaching down to pat the dog's head - Elvis had camped out in front of Sabrina's bedroom door.

Then Henry straightened up and knocked on the door. When there was no response from inside, Henry tested the doorknob and found it unlocked. Inside, the lights were off in the room, with only the faint daylight coming in through the window to cast some illumination. Sabrina lay on her bed, fast asleep and not the least bit peaceful. She'd fallen asleep in her clothes from the night before, which were disheveled and dusty. The bed she shared with Daphne looked too big for her to be all alone, and none of the light shining through the window seemed to touch her.

Concerned, Henry made his way over to the bed, as Elvis peeked his head around the doorframe. "Sabrina?" Henry murmured, reaching out and putting his hand on his daughter's shoulder. He was mindful of her injuries and bandages, but he could tell she needed to wake up.

Sabrina shifted briefly, then gasped and sat straight up, crying out in alarm. Her eyes were wide with panic and fear, heartbeat racing so loudly and powerfully that she felt like it would burst right out of her chest and catch fire.

Her breath caught for a moment, eyes going to her hand, and then she looked up at her father.

Henry sat down on the edge of the bed, placing his hands on Sabrina's shoulders and looking at her in concern. "It's all right, Sabrina," he said. "It's just me."

Sabrina closed her eyes, then took a deep breath. "I had a bad dream," she said quietly.

Henry moved his hand to Sabrina's hair and gently ran his fingers through it. "What was it, sweetheart?" he asked gently. "Tell me."

Sabrina hesitated a moment. Her body trembled a little. She hadn't brushed her hair or checked her bandages, and dark circles under her eyes made her face look even paler.

With a shudder, she scooted closer to him and rested her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes. "It's hard to explain."

Her father wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "You can take as much time as you need," he murmured. "Or you can choose not to tell me. But I'm here for you, sweetheart, no matter what."

"No matter what," Sabrina echoed. Her voice cracked, and she reached up to clutch at his shirt with one hand, forgetting all about the dream she'd just had.

Henry tightened his arms around her, hearing the cracking in her voice. He looked down at her. "Sabrina?" he asked. "What is it?" She'd reacted stronger than he'd expected to those words, even repeating them.

"Puck," Sabrina whispered, sounding like she was trying very hard not to cry. "He..."

Her father kissed the top of her head. "Take your time," he murmured. Of course it had to do with Puck. He'd be the most important thing on Sabrina's mind. He wouldn't have been surprised if the nightmare had been about Puck. "I'm here."

It took her several moments before she calmed down enough to keep her bursting into tears. Her voice had steadied a little. "He's not going to hate me when he wakes up, ya know," she said. "I know you don't like our relationship much but... He promised to love me no matter what. I promised the same thing. Even though I almost killed him, he's still going to love me."

Henry stroked her hair, listening to her silently. When she was done, he pressed another kiss against her forehead. "I know he won't hate you," he said. "I know I haven't been the most supportive of your relationship...but I do know how much he cares about you."

Sabrina bit her lip. "Dad... I want to go see him," she said softly. "Can I go to the hospital and check on him now?"

Henry nodded. "Of course," he said. "That's why I came in to wake you up - I thought you'd want to see him."

Sabrina closed her eyes for a moment. She opened them, looking up at her father, whose features were so like her own in color and expression. Then she moved to hug him tightly around the neck, closing her eyes. "I didn't mean to betray Daphne like that," she whispered.

"Oh, I know you didn't," Henry murmured, hugging her tightly. "And I understand why you made the choice the way that you did. Daphne will, too, in time."

"How badly do I have to get hurt before Daphne realizes I'm just trying to do what's best?" Sabrina asked softly. Bitterly.

"Your sister loves you, Sabrina," Henry murmured. "You hurt is the last thing she wants, I'm sure."

"..." Sabrina hugged him tighter. "Let's go to the hospital now. I want to sit by Puck."

Henry nodded, kissing the top of her head, and then releasing her gently. "Change your clothes, and I'll meet you at the car, sweetheart."

"I don't want or need to change my clothes," she murmured stubbornly, even though she looked like she'd crawled out of a mine shaft in the dark. "Besides, Puck would rather I look like my normal self, not get all dressed up with makeup. He likes me better that way."

Henry couldn't help but smile at that. "I do have to admit," he said, "Puck really seems to care about you. As long as you're happy, sweetheart, that's what matters."

"I said some pretty stupid things to him back when I was under that love talisman or whatever it was," Sabrina said, moving to let go of him and stand up.

"Oh?" Henry asked, standing as well. As he did so, he didn't give her a chance to argue, and simply picked her up so that she didn't have to walk.

"Ack!" Sabrina gave a very adorable yelp as she suddenly found herself weightless and holding onto her father. She hadn't been carried by him in years. Daphne still latched on like she could get sewn there, but Sabrina had... Well, grown out of it. "Dad, I can walk," she insisted. "I'm not a little girl anymore."

"That's what I have to remind myself," Henry replied, making no move to set her down. "But I'm not quite ready for you to grow up yet, Sabrina. So, let me carry you."

After a moment of hesitation, she nodded. "Okay." She leaned her head on his shoulder again, wrapping her arms around his neck. It felt really nice, she had to admit, and made her wish even harder that she hadn't grown up as fast as she had. "So... I told Puck that you were in love with an Everafter once, but you fell in love with someone normal, so maybe I would too. I mean, I was under a spell so I didn't mean it!" she quickly added the last part. "But... I always wondered how it happened with you."

"Feelings change," Henry said simply. "After what happened, the thought of being with Goldie was painful. I couldn't look at her without remembering what had happened. And so, as fast as I could, I put as much distance between myself, Ferryport Landing, and the Everafters as I could."

"And then I met your mother," Henry added, as he carried Sabrina out to the car. He smiled. "She was wonderful - she still is, of course. And honestly, the fact that she was mortal, and not an Everafter, had nothing to do with why I fell in love with her. You can't really explain what it is that makes you fall for a person - sometimes, it simply happens."

Sabrina was quiet for several moments. She tilted her head, looking up at him and very grateful that he had decided to carry her. All of her muscles still ached, and her shoulders hurt from where they'd been clawed into. "Did you ever make any promises with Goldilocks about being together?"

Henry shook his head. "No," he said. "We were young...and though I can't speak for her, I honestly wasn't ready to think about the future like that. And rather than make a promise that I didn't know if I could keep, I just didn't make one at all."

"That's good," Sabrina said. "We're so much alike, I want to make sure I don't do anything stupid--no offense."

"None taken," Henry said. "I'm happy with your mother, and I love her - and the two of you - very much." He smiled at her. "I wouldn't change my life for anything."

After Sabrina was securely buckled in the car--the one her parents had purchased, not the deathtrap--she looked to him again. "We're a lot alike, aren't we? I mean, you think so too, right?"

Henry smiled, and nodded. "We are," he said. "We always have been, Sabrina. And I've always been proud of you."

"That's probably why you went easiest on me over this," Sabrina murmured, glancing out her window as they started the car to leave. "I mean, you had good intentions and went about it in a crappy way when it came to Granny and the whole not-telling-us thing."

Henry coughed slightly, but he didn't deny it. "At the time I thought it was the best thing to do. Now I know otherwise...but of course, only after the damage was done."

He guided the car down the driveway and towards the hospital.

"I still think I was right," Sabrina said softly. "But... I shouldn't have stolen from Daphne. I just spent so much time taking care of her, I got used to knowing what was best for her. I mean... I grew up fast so she wouldn't have to."

Henry reached over and squeezed her hand. "I know," he said. "And yes, you shouldn't have stolen from her - but the important thing is that you've realized that."

Sabrina squeezed his hand back. "Do you think mom and Daphne and Kerdy all hate me now?"

Henry shook his head. "Not at all," he said. "I think they were upset and hurt, but they don't hate you. I'm sure of it."

"Okay," Sabrina said, pulling her knees up to her chest. It wasn't a very good way to sit in a car, but she felt like the space was too big.

Henry pulled into the parking lot of the hospital after a ride involving mostly comfortable silence, and got out, going around to open the passenger door for Sabrina. "Let's get you to see Puck."

Sabrina got out of the car, holding both hands up. "I can walk this time though. Thanks for carrying me earlier, daddy." She hadn't called him daddy since... Well, around the time Daphne had started saying it.

Henry's expression was warm, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a sideways hug. "I love you, sweetheart," he said.

"Love you too," she answered, cheeks burning. They headed into the hospital. Sabrina felt her legs moving faster and faster as they neared the room she had last seen Puck in. The cold white walls of the hospital seemed too bright and clean. The bad feeling that had been gnawing at her the previous night, making her believe Puck might die had come back. Her heart began to pound rapidly as she stumbled to the room, threw open the door, and hurried in. The anticipation in reality was worse than the anticipation she'd felt in her nightmare, which wasn't even bothering her anymore.

The bed was empty. She could see Daphne and Kerdy--Kerdy looking at her with an unreadable look, Daphne asleep and drooling on his still bare shoulder--but where was Puck?

She looked to the side to see that Veronica was standing, eyes on her. Ignoring her mother, Sabrina rushed to the bed and looked down at it, confused and frightened. She couldn't find her voice to ask what had happened.

Before Sabrina had too much time to think about the fact that the bed was empty and Puck was nowhere in sight, a pair of arms came up and wrapped around her from behind.

"Idiot," came the amused sound of Puck's voice. Even with being behind her, his grin could be heard in his voice.

Sabrina's body went rigid, and then she whirled around in his arms, eyes wide. "Puck!" A thousand questions rushed through her head, but all she could do was gape up at her boyfriend. He looked perfectly fine--as if he hadn't just been in a building collapse with deadly and lethal injuries.

Puck grinned - every inch looked perfect, from his mischievous eyes to his blonde hair.

And his grin looked positively cocky.

"Hello," he said, raising one hand to point at himself when she turned to him. "Immortal, remember?"

It had only taken one night for him to make a full recovery.

"It was pretty cool," Kerdy said. "His wings popped out and encased him like a cocoon. It lasted for hours--then he was fully healed."

"..." Sabrina's expression changed from shock to relief... To anger.

Puck's grin instantly became wary. "Uh...Sabrina?" He knew that look. He knew that look well. And he was extremely wary of the fact that that look was on her face at that moment.

"I thought you were going to die!" Sabrina cried, bringing both hands up to start smacking his chest. She didn't care if she woke Daphne, she didn't care what her parents saw. She was angry and relieved, and so overwhelmed that she couldn't keep it inside. "You jerk! You ass! You... You're an asshole casserole!" she cried, still smacking at him.

Daphne groggily opened her eyes, lifting her head from Kerdy's shoulder. She blinked, and then her eyes widened when she saw Sabrina and Puck.

"You really just called me an asshole casserole?" Puck asked with a chuckle, not flinching from her smacks. He simply tugged her closer, and then silenced her with a firm kiss.

"Mmph," Sabrina mumbled against his lips, no longer hitting him. Her hands went flat against his shoulders and chest, and she relaxed, closing her eyes.

Kerdy blushed a bit, grabbing the shirt Jake had dropped off for him when the older man had come to take Relda to visit Mr. Canis. Since Daphne was no longer attached, he pulled the shirt on and looked at Sabrina's parents. Veronica had moved to Henry's side, and was smiling affectionately at her oldest daughter, hands on her stomach.

Daphne averted her eyes, sitting up and looking down at her lap instead of at Sabrina and Puck. She was still hurt by what Sabrina had done - but she was really happy that Puck was okay.

Henry slid his arms around Veronica and smiled. "I forgot for a bit myself that he was immortal," he murmured to Veronica as Sabrina and Puck kissed. Veronica merely smiled and leaned against him.

A moment later, Sabrina broke the kiss and glared. "I'm still mad at you," she said, frowning up at Puck.

Another grin broke out on Puck's face. "Are you?" he asked. "Oh well." And he kissed her again, before she could say anything else.

Sabrina melted into the kiss as expected, sighing softly and relaxing in his arms. A few tears slid down her cheeks, but she ignored them.

Puck slid his hand into her hair and angled for a more secure kiss, feeling content and at ease. He'd spent most of his time in a state of limbo while healing - and the only thought that had run through his mind was whether Sabrina had made it.

"Ahem," Veronica cleared her throat after several minutes of this.

Sabrina yanked back, trying to act like she hadn't just had someone else's tongue in her mouth. Her face was officially beet red, and she didn't know what to say.

"Sabrina," Veronica said. "Don't you have something you want to say?" The prompt reminded Sabrina that she _did._

"Oh..." Sabrina looked at Daphne hesitantly. "Daphne, I do want to say something to you."

Henry looked at Sabrina, feeling a rush of warmth towards his daughter.

Daphne looked apprehensive, and then hesitant. She didn't move from next to Kerdy, but she did look at Sabrina. "What is it?" she asked guardedly.

"I don't think what I was trying to do was wrong," Sabrina said quietly, shifting to lean against Puck a little. "I've been protecting you from the world for so long that sometimes I don't think about what you want. I just think I know what's better."

She took a deep breath and looked to the floor. "I should have tried harder to make you understand how serious the situation was. And I shouldn't have gone behind your back or stolen from you. I'm sorry about that." She fell silent then, waiting for Daphne's response. The last thing she wanted to do was alienate her sister and ruin their relationship, but the words were clearly hard for her to say.

"You really shouldn't have," Daphne said softly, responding to the last part first. She bit her lip. "But I...accept your apology."

Then she looked up. "And...And it's not that I don't know that the Wolf is dangerous," she said. "I just...I don't want to hurt Mr. Canis. I want to find another way, where he isn't in danger, too." There were tears in her eyes at that admission.

Sabrina let go of Puck (very reluctantly) and went to her sister. Though Kerdy had been about to move to comfort the girl, he moved away so Sabrina could do it instead. Besides, the lightly padded chairs they'd slept in hadn't been comfortable, and his legs felt cramped.

"But you weren't willing to find out what the weapon was, either," Sabrina said, sitting next to Daphne and putting a hand on her shoulder. "It blew up the bank, but what if it won't blow up Mr. Canis? We're detectives, right? The Sisters Grimm--we should research this together and find out what we can do. And if it's going to hurt Mr. Canis, we lock it up somewhere."

"Really?" Daphne asked. "If it's going to hurt Mr. Canis, we can lock it up and not use it?" She wiped at her eyes, trying not to let anyone see that there'd been tears there. She looked up at her sister hopefully.

"Promise," Sabrina said. "I'll be upfront with you about everything, but you have to be mature enough to handle it, and willing to try it my way too."

"Okay." Suddenly Daphne was hugging her sister tightly. If Sabrina could be up front and not keep her in the dark about things, then Daphne could do her best to handle them.

_'Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow,' _Sabrina ignored her thoughts and hugged Daphne just as tightly. While Puck had fully healed, Sabrina was still facing two days worth of injuries. The ones from the pool and the ones from the bank.

"But still-" Kerdy started.

"Kerdy, a word in the hall?" Sabrina interrupted before he could say anything that might set Daphne back off, looking up in irritation. He frowned, but nodded and headed for the door, waiting for her to follow.

Daphne let go of Sabrina, feeling much better - but now she glanced after Kerdy. What was Sabrina going to talk to Kerdy about? Not that she'd missed the animosity. She just wanted to know what they were going to say. Puck looked at Kerdy and raised an eyebrow. Was this about what had happened at the pool and their house, or had something more happened while he'd been unconscious?

"Puck," Veronica murmured, moving closer to the boy as Sabrina let go of Daphne and stalked after Kerdy. "You should probably make sure Sabrina doesn't lose it. She had a rough night."

Puck looked at Veronica, and nodded, moving to follow. Daphne started to stand up, but Henry went to her and put his hand on her shoulder.

Now that Puck thought about it, Sabrina looked like she hadn't slept well. And Sabrina with no sleep meant Sabrina with short temper, meant Kerdy better be careful what he said to her. Yep. Making sure Sabrina didn't lose it was probably a good thing.

In the hall, Sabrina put her hands on her hips. She looked pretty annoyed, dark circles under her eyes, bandages still covering her scrapes and bruises. Her hair was also tangled, and not in a cute 'bed head' way. "Look Kerdy, I'm going to make this very clear. I know what's going on with you, and I'm ignoring it for your sake because you have good intentions. But _cut me some slack."_

Kerdy frowned at her, blue eyes honestly confused. "I have no idea what you mean. Nothing's going on with me."

Puck tilted his head to one side. He'd simply moved to lean against the wall near them and stay out of it unless Sabrina needed an intervention, but Sabrina's words had caught his interest._ 'Something going on with Kerdy? Hmm...'_ Puck's curiosity was definitely piqued.

"Don't play stupid, Kerdy," Sabrina said. "You're what, seventeen now?"

Before he could answer, she continued. "You don't look any older than you looked when we met you."

"...I don't know what you mean," Kerdy said, frowning at her. "I've always been the smallest one in my family, I'm probably not getting any taller."

"Kerdy, have you honestly not noticed?" Sabrina put her hands on her hips, then glanced to Puck. "Puck, come stand by him for a sec."

Puck raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, sure," he said, shrugging as he walked over to them. He moved to stand beside Kerdy as requested. "This good?"

"Did either of you notice that Kerdy was inches taller than us when we met, but I'm almost as tall, and Puck's got a few centimeters?" Sabrina asked.

True to her word, Puck was slightly taller than the older boy, and Kerdy had turned to frown at him.

"So?" Kerdy finally asked. "What does this have to do with you betraying Daphne's trust?"

"Look, I'm not saying what I did was completely noble or right. And yeah, like you pointed out last night, I still have a problem with Everafters when they do bad things. I'm harsher on them than regular people because I still don't trust a lot of them. I probably never will. And I didn't care how Daphne felt about my actions because I felt I was right and she wasn't listening. I've promised myself to change that--but you're completely turning your back on me for a completely different reason."

"Like what?" Kerdy asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You'd treat anyone else just as harshly if they hurt Daphne."

Puck blinked. He hadn't been paying much attention to what Sabrina's words about height had meant. Then he turned his head to look at Kerdy, and realized that - Sabrina was quite right. Puck had gained height on Kerdy, and Kerdy was supposed to be older, physically, than him. For some reason, the line about Daphne had made him realize that Sabrina had a very good point.

Then, suddenly, Puck started laughing. Not just laughing - outright_ cackling _with realization at what Sabrina was saying. He clutched his stomach and doubled over. What made it all the more hilarious was the fact that Kerdy seemed oblivious.

"What's so funny?" Kerdy demanded, staring at Puck. "Have you finally lost your mind?"

"...Wow," Sabrina said. "Kerdy, you really haven't noticed?"

"Noticed what?" Kerdy asked, sounding more irritated than ever.

"That the same way Puck started aging when he met me... You stopped aging when you met Daphne," Sabrina said simply.

Kerdy's bright blue eyes went wide, several locks of his soft blonde hair falling over one of them as he openly gaped at her. Then he was shaking his head. "Not possible. I'd know--I'd have to consciously decide..."

"No, you don't," Puck said with a grin. "I hit the whole puberty thing a long time before I decided to grow older." His eyes were dancing with mischief. He was not going to let Kerdy live this one down.

"Surely you decided to," Kerdy said, looking to Puck with wide eyes.

"Kerdy, you ran here in your sweatpants last night because you had a feeling. And I sincerely doubt your feeling was that Puck was going to have a bank fall on him and then get better--which by the way still pisses me off, I cried a LOT last night--so what else could it be?" Sabrina shrugged her shoulders, then winced. "And Puck tried really hard not to grow up. He sulked about it the moment he realized it was happening. So no, he didn't have control and I guess you don't either."

Puck grinned, though he darted a glance at Sabrina when he saw her wince.

Then he clapped his hand on Kerdy's shoulder. "Isn't this sweet?" he teased. "Want me to put in a good word for you with the marshmallow?"

"No!" Kerdy said in alarm. "She's like a little sister to me--and way too young for what you guys are implying!"

"Puck's like four thousand years older than me," Sabrina said nonchalantly.

"That's different!" Kerdy flailed, looking the cutest he'd looked in a really long time. He almost got Puck in the face with one of his hands.

"Jeez, grow up," Sabrina said, rolling her eyes. Then the irony of her statement hit her, and she started laughing.

Puck stepped back to avoid the flailing hand, and laughed with Sabrina. "He can't, that's the problem," he said with a grin.

Then he took a deep breath to compose himself, although he couldn't completely hold back the snickering. "I bet you'll start aging again once she gets older."

"This isn't happening," Kerdy groaned.

"So lay off of me, and I won't tell Daphne yet," Sabrina said simply, once she'd finished laughing. "And try to remember I'm Daphne's sister, not someone who wants to hurt her intentionally."

"Fine," Kerdy said, not wanting Sabrina to say anything that might make Daphne wary of him. "I just want to be a friend and support her--that's all. I promise."

"Yeah--that's all 'til she gets older and you realize we're right," Sabrina said dryly. "...Why are you wearing a shirt that says 'Number One Studly'?"

Kerdy blinked, looking down at the white t-shirt he'd put on. Sure enough, the phrase "#1 Studly" was printed boldly across the front.

"...Your Uncle Jake dropped this off for me since I didn't have a shirt," Kerdy said lamely, cheeks bright red.

That brought fresh peels of laughter from Puck, and he was lost for several moments as he struggled to get control over himself. "I need a camera," he said. "Kerdy, you've got to keep wearing that until I get a camera."

"No!" Kerdy said, swatting at Puck. "I'm going to go let Daphne know I'm going to go change, and then I'll meet you guys at the library."

"Library?" Sabrina echoed.

"For research," Kerdy said. "Go get your Grimm diaries, we're going to figure out what the weapon is."

Puck straightened up and wiped at his eyes, fighting his laughter down. He looked at Sabrina. "Well, now's as good a time as any since I don't have to be here in the hospital."

"Kay," Sabrina said. "I guess I'll go home and take a shower and get changed. I smell like chlorine."

"Might as well come with you," Puck said, looking at her. There was no reason why her parents couldn't do whatever they needed to do without him.

Kerdy nodded to her, and then headed for the room again. He tried to look mature and cool, but it was incredibly hard to do while he was blushing and wearing such a ridiculous shirt.

Daphne stood up and looked at Kerdy brightly as he came back in. "Is everything okay?" she asked brightly.

Kerdy blushed even more, staring blankly at Daphne. "Um... Yeah."

He coughed, then pushed his hand through his hair, several strands falling right back into place. "Sabrina, Puck, and I think we should go to the library and research the weapon. I'm going to go home and get changed and meet you there--that okay?"

Daphne nodded, her entire face lighting up with the realization that they were going to get started on the weapon right away. "Okay," she said.

Then she impulsively hugged Kerdy. "Thanks for coming last night," she said.

Kerdy went rigid, looking down at her in a manner similar to William Charming. The basic 'Oh my god she's hugging me and if I shove her off I'll look like a jackass' expression.

Then he swallowed and hugged her back, glancing nervously at Veronica and Henry. There was no harm in hugging her. She was a little kid. He was just a teenager. No bad vibes. Right.

Veronica raised an eyebrow and immediately clamped onto Henry's arms, which were around her. That way, he'd have to mow her over to get to Kerdy if he realized what Kerdy's expression meant.

Daphne smiled when Kerdy hugged her back, gave him an extra squeeze, and then released him. She was completely oblivious to the narrow-eyed look that Henry was giving the older boy. Veronica's Henry-hold couldn't have had better timing.

Daphne looked up at Kerdy. "See you soon?"

"Yep. See ya soon, Princess," Kerdy said with a wary look at Henry. Barefoot or not, he hurried from the room before Henry could offer to drive him home. The older man looked like he might do that just to drive off to a secluded area and put an end to him.

***.*.*.*.***

"Much better," Sabrina mumbled to herself, walking out of the room. She knew Daphne was waiting anxiously for her in the living room, while Puck was out in the hall. Veronica was resting in bed on doctor's orders, and Henry had decided to stay with her. Sabrina had also promised they could walk to the library without getting killed, and both Sabrina and Puck had cell phones too. If they needed anything, they could call Jake or the house.

Sabrina had just finished showering and dressing, and although her wounds still stung, she felt refreshed. She had planned to put her bad actions and creepy dreams behind her, and just focus on her new attitude. It wasn't easy though--the dream unnerved her while she was by herself and not snuggling with Puck.

She'd changed into a pair of fresh jeans with flared bottoms and a short-sleeved green shirt that didn't cling too tightly to her slender frame. Her hair was still damp and shower-tangled when she stepped into the hallway, floor creaking a bit under her socks.

"Feel better?"

Puck stood out in the hallway, dressed in a pair of cargo shorts and a T-shirt and looking as though he'd been waiting for hours for Sabrina to emerge.

He gave her a critical look, silently searching the visible skin for bruising or injury.

"Lots," Sabrina said, looking at him for a moment without moving. Then she stepped closer and hugged him tightly. "You could have told me before the bank collapsed that you weren't going to die."

"There wasn't exactly time," Puck said, "and I was a little more focused on getting you out since, unlike me, you can't go into a cocoon and heal overnight." He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, pressing his lips to her hair.

"I really thought you were going to die, Puck," she mumbled, snuggling close. She'd snuggled him on the entire ride home too, though she'd alternated smacking him to vent her frustration.

Puck closed his eyes, and held her closer, until their bodies were fitting snugly together with no space between them. He extended his wings suddenly and wrapped them around her. "I won't do it again," he murmured.

Sabrina's cheeks flushed, but she didn't pull back. "You'd better not. The world would suck without you. I don't want you to die."

"That goes double for you, got it?" Puck said, his own cheeks burning. "You get into a lot more trouble than I do. If I'm not allowed to die, neither are you."

"What are we, Romeo and Juliet?" Sabrina laughed, but she snuggled closer.

"Oh, god, I hope not," Puck said with widening eyes. "I'd like to think I was smart enough to check if you were breathing before killing myself. If he'd just waited about five minutes that would have had a much better ending."

"Give Romeo a break, she wasn't breathing," Sabrina chastised. "She looked dead, and to Romeo, waiting five minutes would have just been a waste of time."

Puck looked stubborn. "Yeah, well, I'm still going to wait five minutes and see if you wake up," he said bluntly.

Sabrina laughed, unable to help it. "Okay," she said. "Or how about we never kill ourselves?"

"This works too," Puck said with an emphatic nod. "You're a lot more interesting alive."

"Gee thanks. Now c'mon, before Daphne chews a chunk out of her hand."

"Now that we'd have a hard time explaining," Puck said with amusement, trying to picture Kerdy's expression. Daphne was waiting for them anxiously downstairs.

Sabrina pulled back and pushed her hair over her shoulder. It felt stringy while damp. "Hey Puck?"

"Yeah?" Puck asked curiously. He gave her a sideways look.

"Everyone else had something to say about the fact that I stole from Daphne," Sabrina said quietly. "...Are you mad about it?"

"Mad? Nah." Puck shook his head. "I was disappointed when I found out you stole the key, but at the time I was more concerned with making sure you were okay."

He pushed his hand through his hair, retracting his wings. "And then I heard you apologize to your sister... so I'm over it now." He looked at her and flashed her a grin.

Sabrina looked at him for a moment, then smiled in relief. "Good... I don't think I could handle it of anyone else told me I was a horrible person for it. I would have been in the hospital with you when you woke up, except I got punished and sent home to think about my actions."

"Seriously?" Puck looked startled at that. "Were you okay?" He frowned slightly. If the positions had been reversed and he'd been the one sent home with her in the hospital, he would have thrown a fit.

"I told you I cried a lot," she muttered, glancing away. "They reminded me that it was my fault you were hurt, Kerdy and mom yelled at me, Daphne looked like a kicked puppy, and I had to sleep alone without knowing if you'd be okay or not."

Puck looked visibly upset, and he slid his arms around her waist again. "I don't blame you for what happened," he said quietly. "I chose to go in there with you." And he knew, without a doubt, that he'd do it again if he had to.

Sabrina's cheeks flushed again, and she closed her eyes for a minute. "I think I needed it, though. The punishment, I mean. Most of what Kerdy said to me was out of anger over Daphne, but a lot of it was right. I thought about everything last night, and I know that no one was as mad as they acted. Except Daphne and Kerdy, I guess. Mom just wanted me to know that it was serious, and it could have been worse."

Puck closed his eyes for a moment, and then nodded. "How do you feel, by the way?" he asked quietly. "I didn't want to say anything around anyone else, but I know you're sore."

"I'll live," Sabrina answered simply, leaning against him. "But Daphne won't if we don't hurry and get her to the library."

Almost immediately after, Daphne's voice came up the stairs. "Sabrina, Puck, come on!" she called. "Kerdy's probably waiting for us already!"

Puck snickered. "Good thing she's still nine," he said.

Sabrina grinned, but she pulled back with a slightly guarded look and headed for the stairs.

Puck wondered at the guarded look - but with Sabrina already headed downstairs and an impatient nine-year-old waiting, there was no chance for him to ask about it.

***.*.*.*.***

Daphne looked up with a very perturbed look on her face. "I haven't found anything yet," she said, "and this is the second diary that I've gone through."

"Second?" Puck muttered. "I can barely get through one." Somehow, he was convinced that he'd picked the most boring diary.

The four of them were camped out at a table near the back of the library, where there was more privacy and they couldtalk freely. In case anyone non-Everafter wondered at what they were doing, Daphne had had the idea to grab a bunch of regular fairy tale books and spread them out on the table as well - so that if they discussed anything Everafter-ish, normal people would just think they were discussing fairy tales. That and the books might come in handy.

They'd been there for over an hour already, but hadn't come up with anything on the North Wind.

"My eyes are going to fall out of my head," Kerdy groaned, setting his book down for a moment. "And this handwriting is atrocious."

"Atrocious means really bad," Sabrina mumbled absentmindedly, going to a row of books on a shelf and looking at them. She hadn't found anything either.

Daphne had opened her mouth, and then shut it, looking happy at the new definition. Then she looked back down at her diary and frowned. "I can't make sense of some of these words, I don't think they're spelled right." She sighed, reaching for a different diary.

"Ask Kerdy for help," Sabrina suggested, climbing up on a ladder and looking at a book on 'wind'. "Yeah, that's helpful," she snapped at herself, putting the book away angrily, as if the book had just insulted her mother. The force made her stumble and yelp, the old ladder rocking and making her fall off.

A pair of strong hands caught her, steadying her immediately. "Careful," a gruff voice said. "You wouldn't want to fall and hurt yourself."

"Thanks," Sabrina said, looking up. The man had his hands at her waist, and he set her down gently on the ground. He was clearly a much older adult, with a trimmed beard sprouting from his face. The beard wasn't odd unless you looked closer and noted that it was blue. She couldn't help but shudder suddenly, unsure of why she did.

Puck looked up, turning his head in Sabrina's direction.

And, so quickly that it caused Daphne to look up and stare, he was on his feet and at Sabrina's side. Puck seized Sabrina's arm and pulled her towards - away from the man. "Let's go sit down, Sabrina," Puck said, everything about him tense - his posture, his voice, and the look in his eyes.

Sabrina yelped, stumbling a little and looking up. Back at the table, Kerdy stood so fast that his chair knocked over and almost broke. He immediately moved to the other side of Daphne, as if shielding her from view. "Here let me help you with that," he said, putting one arm around her and leaning over the book as if helping her look at a word.

"What the..." Sabrina looked at Puck, then back at the man, who was regarding both teens with curiosity.

Daphne looked up, startled and confused and blushing a little at Kerdy's arm and his close proximity. She hadn't noticed the man with the blue beard talking to Sabrina.

"Did you get the book you wanted?" Puck asked stiffly. He grabbed the first book he saw. "Here. Good. Come on." He drew her firmly back towards the table, wrapping his arm around her shoulders in the process. He was in a definite hurry to get Sabrina away from that area.

"What the crap are you talking about?" Sabrina asked, bewildered. She let him lead her though, casting a quick glance behind her. "Thanks again."

The man started to follow. "What's your name?"

Sabrina frowned, glancing back at Puck. It seemed harmless enough, but Puck was freaking out...

"Don't look at him, don't answer him," Puck said under his breath to Sabrina. "Don't give him any kind of encouragement." There was no laughter or amusement in his expression - Puck looked completely serious.

Sabrina looked back at Puck. If they kept walking to the table, and the man followed, then Daphne and Kerdy would be stuck with it too. What did he expect her to do?

She stopped walking, and the man stopped as well, waiting.

Puck bristled when they stopped, but he stuck close to Sabrina's side. Damn. He could see that the man wasn't going to give up. "Fine, just tell him your name quickly," he whispered to her. He didn't want Sabrina talking to him. He didn't want her anywhere near him.

"Oh, sorry," Sabrina said, trying to sound polite. "My boyfriend has no manners and we're kinda busy. My name's Sabrina."

"Sabrina," he echoed. "Nice meeting you."

He held his hand out for her to shake.

"Y-you didn't tell me yours," Sabrina stammered, looking wary. Puck had freaked out, and he never freaked out. He thought Baba Yaga was awesome--who was this man, to get such a reaction from the Trickster King?

The man smiled, and the smile made Sabrina feel trapped and stalked. Since he didn't answer, she shuddered and finally reached for his hand. Once it was in range, he grasped it and gave it a firm shake that made her legs feel weak and her entire body go cold. He felt... Evil.

"You can call me Bluebeard."

"We've got to be going," Puck said tightly, alarms sparking in him the moment that Bluebeard seized Sabrina's hand. He just wanted to have Bluebeard move on, and get back to their table, Daphne, and Kerdy.

"Of course. Could you direct me to books about law, first?" Bluebeard asked, not releasing Sabrina's hand.

She swallowed, then managed to pull her hand free and point in the direction she knew the books to be in. "That way."

Kerdy didn't let Daphne budge an inch to look. At least it seemed that Sabrina had realized the danger.

"Thank you," Bluebeard said politely, before heading that way.

Sabrina watched him go, and then her knees gave out and she felt herself falling. She felt lightheaded.

Puck's arm was around her waist in an instant. "Lean on me, and try to act like you aren't bothered," he muttered. "Come on." He guided her back over towards the table.

Daphne looked up when Sabrina and Puck got back, and her eyes widened. "Sabrina?" she whispered. Her sister looked pale.

Sabrina had no arguments for Puck. She simply let him plop her butt down into a chair and sit beside her again. Over the past few years, she'd done her best to read up on fairytales so she could be prepared. She'd read about Bluebeard--but somehow, she hadn't been prepared to meet the man. And the way he'd stared at her... Hadn't he only beheaded his wives?

"Daphne, did you hear?" Sabrina whispered, knowing her sister read more fairytales than she did. "That was Bluebeard."

"Maybe we should go," Kerdy whispered, tightening his arm around Daphne. He'd changed into normal jeans and a red t-shirt for the trip to the library, but now he wished he'd worn something that would have blended in with the background.

"Bluebeard?" Daphne whispered back to Sabrina, trying to turn her head to see. Though in this case she wasn't that easy - Bluebeard's fairy tale had creeped her out because of the beheading.

"I second that," Puck said quietly. "Let's get the diaries and go, we can keep looking through them at home." He looked at Kerdy - it appeared both he and the other boy were in agreement. Get the girls out. Immediately.

"I don't get it," Sabrina mumbled. "Why is it such a big deal? He killed his wives, right? Why should we leave? He went to the other side of the library."

She turned to look, then immediately turned back when she realized he was looking at her through the shelves.

"Yeah, so says the fairytale," Kerdy hissed. "But he did a lot worse things in fourteen thirty-two. My parents told me all about it. If you look it up, you can find out that people suggested a man named Gilles de Rais was the inspiration for the fairytale. What you WON'T find in any reference book or website is that he really was that man. The fairytale was about his wives, but the events from fourteen thirty-two on to fourteen forty weren't recorded by the Brothers Grimm or anyone else who knew him as Bluebeard. He cheated death, so no one connects the two as the same person."

Sabrina looked at Kerdy, then at Puck. What crimes...?

Daphne's eyes were wide. This was information she didn't know. There wasn't a single book in the Grimm house about Bluebeard that had information about more than his wives.

"He's a child murderer," Puck said, his voice low and dangerous. "No one's really sure how many victims he had, but the count is supposed to be somewhere in the hundreds." He clenched his jaw tightly. "Trust me. You don't want to know the details on what he did."

"But the worst he did was murder them?" Sabrina whispered, grasping Puck's hand. She wanted the answer, but not if it would upset Daphne. "I mean, there's nothing else he could have done..." she added two squeezes at that statement, hoping Puck would catch on.

Puck looked at Sabrina. "Yeah - that's pretty much all that he did," he said out loud, which made Daphne relax a bit. She'd been hanging on to Puck and Kerdy's every word with eyes becoming saucers.

Then Puck squeezed Sabrina's hand twice. He kept his expression calm - he was a master at deceit, and he wasn't going to let on to Daphne at all that he wasn't telling the truth out loud.

"Oh," Sabrina said, voice coming out a bit strangled. "Good."

She gave two hard squeezes, then looked to Kerdy. He seemed to understand what had just passed between them.

"Shall we go then?" Kerdy whispered.

"A million times yes," Sabrina breathed, letting go of Puck to gather her things.

"Okay," Daphne whispered, getting her books together as well. Hearing the Bluebeard murdered children was enough for her to want to get out.

Puck clenched his jaw, moving quickly to make sure that they didn't forget anything. It had never occurred to him until that encounter that he'd have to warn Sabrina and Daphne about Bluebeard. Now he was kicking himself for not saying something sooner.

He may have been the Trickster King, and Baba Yaga may have been awesome, but Bluebeard was someone that Puck wanted to have nothing to do with. As Sabrina finished putting the books in her backpack and headed for the exit with Kerdy practically carrying Daphne, she turned one last time to see if Bluebeard had noticed they were leaving.

A cold pang of fear struck her when she realized he hadn't even opened the book he'd picked. He was still staring straight at her.

***.*.*.*.***

**Ayns: **ZzzzZZzzzZZZZzzZZZzzzzzzzzzZzzzzzZzzzzz

**Sky: The results are in! Ayns and I will be posting the winners of the 'Review Game' soon, since we hit 400 reviews! The new chapter will explain the winners and their prizes. We might do this again sometime :D!**

(If you don't know what the Review Game is, that's because I just deleted all the rules, since it's over XD)

Luvvies! (Also, a new 'best fic' thing is up on Lola Sveroski's profile XD All new stories up, go vote for your fave!)

~Sky


	17. Toss The Kerdy

**EDIT: Sky: Re-Added scene skips.**

**A/N:**

**Sky: **WHEE! This is the longest chapter we've done! It took us about a day to write it, and let me just say, I love it XD I laughed while writing it, and I was anticipating the next steps. Also, I didn't want to read or write about the trial and exorcism or whatever, so… You'll see what happens! Bwahahaha.

SO! The **Winners of our Review Contest are in!**

**Winner#1 (Our first review on the chapter): pixiewings00  
Winner#2 (Our 400th review): Stark X Zoey  
Winner#3 (Our favorite review on chapter 16): Person95**

And…

We couldn't help but pick more than one random winner. I ran in circles flailing because I wanted more people to win, so **here are the five random winners (in order) that my mom picked out of a hat for me:**

**Winner#4: Schadenfreude62  
Winner#5: Viva-Musica  
Winner#6: amethystdolphin  
Winner#7: Zeorzia  
Winner#8: obsessedwithbooks**

**Yep, you heard us. 8 One-shots! We'll work on them in the order of our winners. If you do NOT want to have us write you a one-shot, you can either simply decline (Via PM please) or PM us the name of the person you'd rather let have your prize. Either way, we're gonna do 2 each solo, and 4 together (for now, that might change into 8 together depending on our mood XD)**

It was a lot of fun^^ If we do another review contest, it'll be much later, since this gives us quite a bit to work with. **Winners of the game, please PM us your request—example:**

"You crazy people. I want my one-shot to be about Puck and Sabrina in the future, there has to be a rubber duck, and no one is allowed to say 'gravy'."

And we'll write you a one-shot based on that concept, complete with your terms and a dedication in the A/N. ^^ As is, Ayns and I are just getting started on Pixiewings00's request. Bwahaha. And don't worry, we won't even be pausing No Matter What. Simultaneous story writing, AMG! Also, Ayns doesn't get to say anything til the chapter is over XD I used up our quota on chattering before you get to the main event.

**THANK YOU TO _ALL _THE REVIEWERS SINCE CHAPTER 16!: pixiewings00, Viva-Musica, Alice Starr, graciecosmo, Dramaqueenruling, amethystdolphin, Person95, minus your plus, Schadenfreude62, 4evsSmeds543, dog9girl, msjezzi-bella, Dragonfly, Bluestocking inc., Trickster Queen464, obsessedwithbooks, Tanglenight, Tina, SeekDreamsAndFindHope, Grrrgirl1, IKidnappedSpock, silent-entrance, Queen Lucy of Narnia, SweeneyToddLover26, curlscat, Zeorzia, Ascaisil, Sara, Mrs. Sabrina Goodfellow, **and **Stark X Zoey!**

**Also… **I'm sorry to everyone who really did look up Gilles de Rais. WE WARNED YOU.

Enjoy!

***.*.*.*.***

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter Seventeen: Toss-The-Kerdy_**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

Puck bristled, seeing that Bluebeard's attention was focused on Sabrina and that his book remained suspiciously closed.

Oh, hell no.

He put his hand on Sabrina's back and walked quickly, propelling her as fast as he could towards the library exit. He didn't slow until they were out the door and out of Bluebeard's sight.

"Creepy bastard," Puck said with a hiss. Bluebeard was enough to make even Puck feel dirty - and _that_ was quite a feat.

Sabrina didn't even hear him. She didn't even realize she was shivering so hard that her teeth were chattering until it fell quiet and the noise started to annoy her. Kerdy shifted Daphne up into his arms silently, looking at Sabrina and Puck as if he were about to tell them both that they had a terminal disease. He remained silent, though.

Puck's arm slid around Sabrina's shoulders, and he tugged her closer to him. It was just after one o' clock, so they weren't the only ones on the street - thankfully. It meant they could put distance and people between them and Bluebeard.

Daphne leaned against Kerdy, wrapping her arms around his neck. "He freaked me out," she whispered. She looked at Sabrina anxiously.

"Me too, Princess," Kerdy promised. "Let's get out of here."

Sabrina didn't answer any of them, flinching when they walked into the sun and the warm rays made her pale face feel warm. She felt sick to her stomach.

Daphne suddenly looked concern. "Sabrina?" she asked. "Sabrina, are you okay?" Her sister looked pale - way too pale, and it made Daphne uneasy.

"F-f-fine," Sabrina stammered. "J-just f-fine."

"..." Blue eyes gazed at her in concern, and then Kerdy glanced to Puck. Sabrina was losing it.

Puck's head snapped over to Sabrina, and he stopped walking. He pulled her tightly into his arms. "Breathe," he said quietly. "We're out of the library, you're away from him. It's okay, Sabrina."

Sabrina didn't respond vocally, but she did reach up to grasp onto his shirt tightly. The warmth of the sun did nothing for how cold she felt. Puck's embrace didn't even warm her. She felt cold and hopeless all over.

"Hey," Kerdy said. "I'm going to take Daphne to see her grandma and uncle. You should get Sabrina back to her house."

"Yeah," Puck said with a slight nod. "Thanks."

Not trusting that Sabrina would be able to walk all the way back to the house, Puck lifted her up until his arms, holding her to his chest.

"Take care of her, Puck," Daphne whispered.

"I will, marshmallow," Puck said, looking at Daphne for a moment before turning towards home.

Once enough distance had been put between Sabrina and the library, the chattering stopped, and her violent shivers turned into quiet trembling. She didn't say anything, keeping her face firmly snuggled against his neck and collarbone, eyes closed as if she could achieve peace by feigning sleep.

Puck kept glancing down at her in concern. '_If Bluebeard ever tries anything, I'm killing him,_' he thought fiercely.

There was no one up and about in the house when they got back, due to Veronica's bed rest and Henry staying with her. Puck carried Sabrina up towards her room and her bed, wanting to get her somewhere that she would feel safe.

Sabrina lifted her head and looked around finally, then shook her head. "Let's go to your room," she mumbled. She didn't want to be back in her bed for some reason. Probably having to do with her nightmare, and the fact that she'd felt so alone in her room the previous night.

Puck paused. "Mine?" he repeated, surprised by the request but not at all against it. At least he'd remembered to disarm the traps.

As usual, walking into Puck's room was like walking into another world. He bypassed much of it, though, carrying her to the area of the forest that he called his bed. It was a mattress...but that was about as bedlike as it got. Instead of lying on a bed frame, it was lying on top of two tree trunks that had grown horizontally, and held in place by vines. But there were sheets and pillows, and it would work as Puck carried Sabrina over to it.

"Good god, do you ever have a normal place to sleep?" Sabrina muttered. She didn't spend a lot of time in his room, preferring normal human accommodations. "I don't mind it though," she added, before he changed his mind about letting her stay there with him. "Unless it's smelly, or animals attack us."

"Is it smelly?" Puck asked curiously, setting her down on the mattress. He really had no idea - he was so used to it, he couldn't tell if it smelled or not.

She hugged herself, looking around as she settled on it. The mattress felt like a lumpy... cloud. And it also smelled like the forest. Pine. "Totally," she said simply.

"Well, I don't know what to do about that," Puck said with a grin. "But you can rest in here - you looked like you were going to pass out. You still look pale.

"I look fine," Sabrina insisted, scowling at him. Her scowl was only half-power though. More like an angry pout.

Puck crossed his arms over his chest and leaned over, his eyes focused on her face. "Hrm. Yeah, you do look fine, but like I said, a little pale."

Her angry pout became a full pout. "I'm not pale, either. I was caught off guard."

"It won't happen again." Puck leaned forward and kissed her, pout and all. "I think I should have told you about him a lot sooner, but I didn't think your paths would cross."

"Why would a dangerous criminal like that even be on the streets, around kids?" Sabrina demanded, trying not to get flustered as her pout diminished.

Puck sat down next to her, stretching his legs out and unfurling his wings. He didn't hide them in his own room, usually, preferring to stretch them.

"The thing about us Everafters is, a lot of the stuff that we did way back when is so old, it's hard to figure out what's real and what's not," Puck said. "And sometimes if the crimes were committed before they became an Everafter, they aren't held accountable for it. It's disgusting."

"So why can't Charming put him on trial like Mr. Canis?" Sabrina muttered, frowning.

"That's something you'd have to ask Charming," Puck said with a shake of his head. "I know if it were up to me, I'd lock him up and throw away the key. I'd lock him up in a really deep, dark hole, too."

"He was looking at me," Sabrina mumbled, refusing to glance at Puck when she said it.

"I won't let him do anything to you," Puck said, an edge to his tone. "I'll kill him if he tries."

"You wouldn't kill someone," Sabrina contradicted, shaking her head. "You'd get back at him with pixie stings."

"Bluebeard deserves worse than pixie stings," Puck said quietly.

He turned towards Sabrina and touched her cheek. His wings folded around them both, as best as they could.

Sabrina raised her head, looking up in shock. "Puck?" she asked, blushing at the feel of his hand on her cheek. _Now _his touch was radiating warmth.

"Yeah?" he asked, his eyes searching hers as his palm lay against her cheek. He could see her face flushing - which was much better than it being pale.

"Would you really kill him if he hurt me?" she asked, eyes unreadable as she gazed up at him. "Like... Actually... Kill him?" The words sounded strange coming from her. She couldn't fathom the idea of actually killing a person, not so easily.

"Yeah, I would," Puck said. "I'll do whatever I have to do to keep you safe, Grimm. Even if I means I'd have to kill someone like him."

Killing wasn't something that came naturally to him - mischief was more of his thing. A few years back he might have laughingly agreed with the pixie sting idea. But he was getting older now, and with the new physical age was coming maturity as well. Besides… Nothing had ever been quite as dangerous or depraved in his mind.

"You don't think he'll... Want to hurt me, do you?" Sabrina asked, eyes widening at his admission.

"I don't know." Puck smoothed his fingers over her cheek. "I didn't like the way he looked at you. And I don't trust him at all. I don't want to take chances with your safety."

"I think I really like the grown-up version of you," she said quietly, leaning her cheek to his hand a bit.

Puck grinned at that. "I'll try to bring him out more often," he said. He kissed her forehead. "But I've still got a few years before he has to be permanent, right?" His other arm slid around her waist.

"Sure. I like the playful side too," Sabrina snuggled up against him again, moving her face so that it was against his shoulder. "What are you going to do when I grow old?"

"Like, how old?" Puck asked. "Your parents old? Or the old lady old?" He tilted his head slightly.

"Granny Relda old," Sabrina said with a grimace.

"Oh, that old? That's easy," Puck said. "I'll just get that old, too."

He spoke as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

"But then you'd be stuck that way--ya know, when I kick the bucket," Sabrina said.

"Who says I'll stick around after you're gone?" Puck asked curiously.

"Hello?" Sabrina pointed up at his face. "Immortal?"

Puck grinned, and kissed the tip of her finger. "So I'll have to figure something out. I've got time."

"You're not talking about dying when I do, are you?" she asked, scowling again and yanking her hand back.

"It's either that or we figure out a way to make you immortal, too," Puck countered. "Either way I spent four thousand years without you, and now that you're here I don't really want to go back to that."

"That's kinda romantic. And kinda lame," she pulled back, trapped just a little by his wings. "You think I want you going all suicidal 'can't live without you' if or when I die?"

"So you'd rather I just kept on living for eternity?" Puck asked, frowning slightly as he thought about this.

"Yes," Sabrina said. "Like a monk. With no women."

"A monk?" Puck gave her a 'what the crap did you just say?' look. "I mean, the no women part is a given but...a monk? Do I have to wear one of those ugly brown robes?"

"No, I just mean you have to take a vow of... I dunno, celibacy, chastity, whatever it is," Sabrina said indignantly. "You think I want you womanizing the world after I die?"

"You think I would be?" Puck asked. He chuckled. "It took me four thousand years to fall in love with one person. I really don't think it's likely that I'd find a second one."

"But you're not gonna go all Edward Cullen and say stuff like, 'without you, my life has no purpose' or anything, right?" Sabrina asked warily. "Cause honestly, that'd freak me out."

"Are you kidding?" Puck asked, promptly looking indignant. "I'm a _million_ times cooler than Edward Cullen!" He looked extremely put out that she was even comparing them.

"..." Sabrina's mouth fell open. "...Did you... Puck, did you read _Twilight?"_

In that moment, Puck greatly resembled a deer caught in headlights. "Uh...." His eyes were wide, and he looked like he didn't know how to answer that question.

Say no and brush it off... say yes and lose his cool factor forever... Guys weren't supposed to read books like Twilight, were they?

"HAH!" Sabrina laughed, holding her stomach as a giggle fit took over. "YOU? You actually read a book? And it was _Twilight?" _

"Yeah, I read a book and it was Twilight," Puck said indignantly. "I found it on _your_ shelf."

"Well duh, I like the books – but YOU?" She laughed again, wiping tears from her eyes.

Puck could feel his cheeks reddening. "You were on medication and out of it, what else was I supposed to do?" he grumbled. Though he had no excuse for the fact that he'd read all four books.

"So this was back when I popped my lung or whatever?" she asked curiously, no longer cackling. Now she was just giggling.

"Yes," Puck said with a grumble. He scowled. "I _am_ more awesome than Edward Cullen."

"Okay yeah, I agree," Sabrina relented. "As long as you promise not to pull that whole 'I'm gonna die when you do' crap. That's not what I want."

"All right, I give in - especially if it keeps you thinking I'm cooler than him," Puck said. He paused for a moment. "Hey, Sabrina? If there were a way to make you immortal...would you do it?"

Sabrina looked up at him, hesitant. Then she bit her lip. "I don't know, Puck. I mean... Live forever like the Everafters? Watch my family grow old while I don't? I don't know if I want that."

Puck nodded. "I expected something like that," he said honestly, "but I wanted to ask the question anyway." Then he grinned at her. "But we don't have to be so serious about this right now. You're what, thirteen? We've got a lot of time still."

She scowled. "Fourteen in like six months. And more mature than you, still."

"Your father says boys just mature slower, I'll catch up," Puck replied.

"That's a scary thought," Sabrina joked. Then she bit her lip, unable to help herself from thinking back to what had been bothering her with the Twilight distraction over. "I don't know why I got so freaked out when Bluebeard was looking at me."

"Because he's a freak?" Puck suggested. He brushed her hair back, sliding his fingers through the long strands.

Sabrina snuggled close again. "I guess..." She sighed. "I don't know. I can't believe I got so freaked out, ya know? That's never happened that way before."

"That's the first time you've seen him, right?" Puck asked, suddenly wondering if, perhaps, Sabrina had had a run in with Bluebeard before.

"I'm pretty sure, yeah," Sabrina said. "But... Oh!" She went rigid. "It reminded me of a nightmare I had."

That brought a frown to Puck's face. "A nightmare?" he asked. "When?" When had she had a nightmare recently?

She hesitated again. "Yeah. I had a nightmare this morning," she mumbled. "Well, last night. But I wasn't thinking about it, I was thinking about you dying. Jerk."

"Well, I'm not dying now," Puck said. He emphasized this with a peck on her lips. "So tell me about the nightmare."

"Why? It doesn't matter anymore," Sabrina mumbled, blushing again from the quick kiss. She snuggled close.

"I just want to know why seeing Bluebeard reminded you of it," Puck replied, looking down at her as she snuggled close, and holding her securely around the waist.

"The dream didn't make any sense," Sabrina said. "And I don't remember much of it anyway."

She felt bad about lying, but she didn't want to talk about it. "For some reason both just creeped me out, I guess."

Puck kissed the top of her head. "Well, you don't have to worry about anything with me around," he said with cocky confidence.

She grinned. "Good to know. So can I stay in your room for a bit? I don't think my parents know we're in here..."

"Like I'm gonna kick you out," Puck said with a grin. "I've been trying to get you to stay in here for months."

"Well maybe if this place was cozy and not a wild jungle, I might come in here more often," Sabrina replied. "Now are we gonna fool around or not?"

Puck's eyes lit up, and his grin grew wider. "Oh, I think fooling around works just fine," he said, pulling her close and leaning down to kiss her.

Sabrina shifted so that she could pull him down on the bed with her, lying side by side with him while they kissed. Making out took her mind off of things, and it felt really nice, too. And Puck never pushed her to do something she wasn't ready for, so it was never scary or uncomfortable.

Puck was more than willing to throw himself into the task to distracting Sabrina - when they were together he made it a point to make it so that the only thing she was thinking about was him. He had to shift his wings back when they stretched out to keep them from getting in the way.

After a while, Sabrina broke one of their kisses in shock, blushing. "P-Puck," she said, gazing up at him with unsure eyes. She felt a hand under her shirt in the back. Of course, she had no way of knowing it wasn't his.

Puck looked at her and grinned - having absolutely no idea why she was blushing the way she was. "Yeah?" he asked, giving her a boyish grin. Both of his hands were on her hips.

"Get your hand out of my shirt," she said, grinning shyly. "Remember, we-"

She froze, eyes growing wide when the hand went higher up her back. It felt... fuzzy. "U-um..."

"Uh...my hand isn't...in your shirt," Puck said slowly. He shifted slightly and held up both of her hands so that she could see.

"..." Sabrina shrieked.

The sound scared the chimp who had been curious, and he immediately voiced his protest, yanking back and stomping around.

"Whoa!" Puck exclaimed, sitting up straight and staring at the chimp. Immediately he scowled. "You just completely broke the mood!"

"OUT!" Sabrina snapped. "I want out of your room now, game over!" She pushed herself up and yanked her shirt back into place, shaking her head. "I'm not coming back in here until it's less like a jungle!"

Puck scrambled to his feet. "Are you serious?" he asked, his eyes wide. All this time he'd been trying to get her into his room and... ARGH! "You can't mean that, can you?"

"Watch me!" Sabrina snapped, swatting at the chimp as she turned and stalked from the mattress. "UGH!"

Puck scowled at the chimp. "Back to the barracks with you," he said, before hurrying after Sabrina to try and placate her.

Sabrina didn't slow her pace until she reached the kitchen, scowling and getting the ingredients out to make hot chocolate. Even though it was a sunny day, and still mid-afternoon, she was cold again.

Puck hurried into the kitchen after her. "Sabrina, I'm sorry about that," he said. "You're not mad at me, are you?" He couldn't help feeling anxious.

"Not mad at you," she grumbled. "But I'm not going back into your room."

"As long as it's a jungle, right?" Puck asked, leaning against the counter. Damn, damn, and damn some more.

"Right," Sabrina said firmly.

***.*.*.*.***

Puck shoved a piece of toast into his mouth, chewing and swallowing before speaking to the only other person at the table.

"So tell me what you found out," he said. "Anything useful or interesting yet?"

It was the morning after the disaster in his room, and Puck was sitting at the breakfast table with Kerdy. It was just the two of them - Sabrina and Daphne had yet to come down and join them, and Puck really had no idea where the adults were.

"Not much," Kerdy said, helping himself to a piece of toast. Relda had made breakfast and then rushed out, right around the time Kerdy arrived. "We went to talk to the Woodcutter about his story, and we visited Red in her new Asylum. Nothing much yet. How's Sabrina, after the run in with that sick freak?"

Puck frowned. "Off and on shaken," he said. "He really freaked her out... if he ever comes near her, I'm going to make him regret it. The thought of that sick bastard anywhere near her disgusts me."

"Same," Kerdy shook his head and shuddered. "I asked mom about it last night, she said Bluebeard hasn't left his castle in years. I wonder why he chose to now, of all times."

"And what the heck had him so interested in the library," Puck said. He scowled. "Your mom have any reason why the bastard isn't behind bars?"

"She said it's because there's no proof on his crimes," Kerdy sighed. He'd worn a pair of khakis and a light blue shirt that matched his eyes. "And because he hasn't caused trouble since his fairytale. The wolf on the other hand..."

"Lots of trouble since the fairytale," Puck finished with another scowl. "You know, in the end, all the old man was trying to do was protect the girls. This really sucks."

"I know, trust me Puck, I know."

Kerdy shoved a hand through his golden-blonde hair. "I don't know how the trial is going to go. It starts later today, and Daphne insists on going."

"Sabrina hasn't said anything about wanting to go or not," Puck said. "I'll probably hang around wherever she does. I don't know anything about this trial stuff anyway."

"I'm sorry I kinda yelled at her, ya know," Kerdy mumbled. "While you were in the hospital."

"Don't worry about it," Puck said with a shake of his head. "There's no lasting harm... but thanks for the apology." He shifted in his chair and glanced towards the stairs to make sure the girls weren't eavesdropping. "Mostly I'm just glad everyone came out of that in one piece."

Kerdy grinned, then looked to the odd breakfast Relda had prepared. A moment later, a sleepy looking Sabrina came down the stairs with her sister in tow.

Sabrina hadn't brushed her hair or changed out of her pajamas, and she seemed flushed.

Puck eyed Sabrina. "Did you just wake up?"

Daphne was half-asleep still, yawning and rubbing her eyes. She was also still in her pajamas - and she froze the moment she saw Kerdy there. "Kerdy," she squeaked. "Hi."

"Morning Princess," Kerdy said with warmth. He thought she looked absolutely adorable. Both of her braids were sticking straight out.

"Morning," Sabrina mumbled. "And yes, I just woke up." She wouldn't admit it, but Daphne had been the one to actually wake her.

Daphne blushed, shifting a little. "Um, um, sorry we're late," she said. "Sabrina had trouble waking up."

Puck frowned. He got up from the table and walked over to Sabrina, pressing his hand against her forehead without warning.

Sabrina blinked up at Puck sleepily, the yelp she made coming out more like a mewl. Her forehead was burning up, and she had to grab onto his arm when dizziness struck.

Kerdy stood up. "Is she okay?"

Daphne looked at Sabrina worriedly.

"She's going right back to bed," Puck said immediately. "Sabrina, you've got a fever."

"Oh, I do not," Sabrina mumbled, trying to swat at him. She missed each time.

Daphne's eyes widened. Sabrina never missed when she tried to hit Puck.

"Yep, you do," Puck said, picking Sabrina up. She couldn't very well avoid him. "Back to bed."

"Hey!" Sabrina protested. "Oh.... I'm going to throw up," She immediately covered her mouth with her hands at the sudden vertigo from being lifted. She felt so dizzy...

As Daphne dashed to get a trashcan for her sister, Puck's eyes went wide. It didn't look like he would be able to carry her without making her queasy, so he held her still and hoped that the dizziness would pass.

Thankfully, by the time Daphne had returned with a trash can and Kerdy had moved to help, the dizziness had passed.

"I'm fine," Sabrina mumbled. "Please put me down before I get sick..."

"Sorry," Puck said immediately, carefully setting her down. "But seriously. Come up to bed with me."

"Up to bed with you?" She echoed warily, trying to manage a teasing grin. Unfortunately, she staggered and held onto him, then passed out completely.

This time Puck was able to catch and pick her up without worrying about her getting sick. "Looks like we're not going to the trial with you," he said to Kerdy and Daphne. "I'm getting her upstairs."

Daphne nodded anxiously. "Take care of her, Puck," she said worriedly.

"I'll go get her mom and dad," Kerdy said. He knew Puck cared about Sabrina, but he doubted the other boy had any idea how to take care of her while she was sick.

"I'll come with you," Daphne said to Kerdy.

Puck threw Kerdy a grateful look - he really didn't have the first idea. He headed up the stairs, carrying Sabrina to her bedroom so that she could lie down. Kerdy put his hand on Daphne's head when they got to the bedroom, nodding to her. He wasn't familiar enough with Veronica and Henry to go into their room without permission, so he left it to Daphne instead.

Daphne knocked softly, and then eased open the door, poking her head inside. "Mom, Dad?" she asked. "Are you awake?"

Henry shifted on the bed, rolling slightly so that he could see Daphne. "Daphne?" he asked groggily. "Is that you?"

Daphne nodded. "Uh huh," she said. "Is Mom awake too?"

Veronica sat up a bit, one hand on her stomach. She was in a dark blue nightgown, short hair disheveled. "I'm up, sweetie," she murmured. "What do you need?"

"Sabrina's sick," Daphne said anxiously. "Puck's putting her back in bed, but he says she has a fever and she passed out."

That woke Henry up fully, and he sat up. "How long as she been sick?" he asked.

"She was okay last night, but she had trouble waking up this morning," Daphne said.

"She thought she was gonna throw up when Puck picked her up," Kerdy added from the doorway, not looking in. "I figure Puck isn't sure how to take care of her, so he might need help."

"Of course," Veronica murmured, rubbing her eyes. "I'll stay home today instead of going to the trial with the rest of you."

"Do you want me to stay as well?" Henry asked, reaching for Veronica's hand. He was concerned about her pregnancy - he didn't want her pushing herself too much.

"No, I'll be okay," Veronica promised. "You go ahead."

Henry cupped her cheek and kissed her gently, and Daphne got stars in her eyes. She loved how in love her parents were and that they weren't afraid to show it.

"I'll call when I can to check up," Henry murmured. It had been like that when Sabrina had Daphne had been younger, too - whenever one of them was sick and had to stay home, Henry had always called to make sure they were doing okay, or called to update Veronica if he stayed home with the sick one. Neither girl had ever been home alone while sick.

Veronica smiled. Then she leaned in close. "And remember the talk we had about Good-Daddy-Henry VS Mafia-Henry. Be _nice _to Kerdy," she whispered, soft enough that the kids wouldn't hear.

Henry coughed slightly. "I remember," he murmured. As long as Kerdy didn't try anything inappropriate with Daphne, he'd be fine. Maybe. Probably.

Smiling at him, Veronica slid out of bed. "Kerdy, be a dear and let Puck know I'll be there in about a half hour to help him--for now, he should keep her warm, and take her temperature. If it's anything higher than one-oh-one, get us immediately."

"Yes ma'am," Kerdy said respectfully, hurrying off to do just that.

"Is there anything I can do?" Daphne asked -still with bed hair and pigtails. She beamed at her mother, clearly wanting to help, too.

"Do you remember how to make chicken soup?" Veronica asked. "Sabrina might like some of that when she wakes up. And Kerdy can help you."

Daphne couldn't scurry away fast enough, eager to help her sister.

Henry smiled. "We couldn't be more fortunate than to have such great kids," he said.

"I know," Veronica grinned at him. "Care to join me for a quick shower?"

Winking over her shoulder, she headed into their private bathroom, tossing her nightgown out behind her. Henry threw back the covers and rushed for the bathroom in record time, making it clear where Daphne had gotten her speed from.

***.*.*.*.***

About a half hour later, as predicted, Veronica headed into Sabrina's room to help Puck. Henry had just left with Kerdy and Daphne, leaving the three alone in the house. A smile touched Veronica's lips when she saw that Puck was taking Sabrina's temperature (for the twenty-eighth time in thirty minutes) and that there was a hot bowl of tasty looking chicken noodle soup by the bed. Sabrina was also bundled in her blankets, sweating a little, but otherwise fine.

"How is she?" Veronica asked.

"She's still sleeping," Puck said, peering at the little numbers on the thermometer. "Do you think this thing is accurate?"

"Yes--and you only need to take her temperature every half hour or so," Veronica said in amusement. "Has she woken up since this morning?"

Puck promptly set down the thermometer, trying to look like he hadn't been obsessively taking her temperature. He shook his head. "Nope," he said. "Not even while I was putting her in bed."

"She's like her father," Veronica said. "When she gets sick, it hits sudden, hard, and fast. She's also notorious for talking in her sleep or when it looks like she's awake."

"Talking in her sleep?" Puck asked, looking intrigued. "What sort of things does she talk about?"

"Well, when she was five, she talked about unicorns and--well, maybe I shouldn't tell you," Veronica grinned sheepishly. "See, the girls did watch some cartoons when they were little, so a certain... never-aging flying-boy caught Sabrina's attention."

"...." Puck twitched. "Do not mention that name in my presence, ever," he said. "And she better not start talking about it in her sleep while I'm here."

Veronica laughed. "Don't worry, I'm sure she's grown out of it."

Sabrina shifted groggily, then snuggled against her pillow and started mumbling.

Puck couldn't help it. He leaned forward, trying to hear what she was saying. He was downright curious.

Sabrina's mumbling was pretty quiet and hard to make out--but a few of the things she said were clear. "Puck", "Jerk", and "Twilight".

At the mention of Twilight, Puck sat up straight. "Yep, she's talking gibberish," he said immediately, not wanting Veronica to hear and think for a minute that he'd read that book that no self respecting teenage boy should ever read. Nope. Not for a minute.

"Mmhmm," Veronica said. "Anyway, I'm going to give you pointers on taking care of her while she's sick, unless you'd rather I just take care of her."

Puck looked at Veronica. "...I'll accept pointers," he said. "But don't tell her that I didn't know how."

"Your secret's safe with me," Veronica promised, holding her hand up. "I see Kerdy and Daphne brought the soup up."

Puck nodded. "Yeah, I'm hoping she wakes up before it gets too cold. She doesn't like cold soup."

"Sabrina never liked being alone when she was sick, so letting her know you're with her calms her down," Veronica said, immediately launching into advice-mode. "She also doesn't like to admit it, but she loses a lot of depth perception and hand-eye coordination while she has a fever, so if she tries to eat or drink on her own, she'll probably just spill it. Oh, and she gets clingy."

She smiled at Puck. "Make sure she stays really warm, if she sweats enough, her fever should break--but don't forget to monitor her temperature. Dropping too low or going too high can kill a human. Anything past one-oh-one is alarming, but one-oh-three and one-oh-four can kill. Understood?"

Puck's eyes had gone a little wide at the mention of killing fevers. He nodded. "Yeah," he said. "Are you _sure_ I only need to check it every half hour? What if I check it and then it immediately goes higher and I've waited too long because I waited half an hour?"

"That usually isn't a problem," Veronica said, looking at him in amusement. "But if you feel the need, and she doesn't try to stab you with the thermometer, you can take her temperature every fifteen minutes."

"That sounds much better," Puck said with a nod, already eyeing the thermometer again. "So basically I'm going to have to feed her, too?"

"If she gets around her pride issues, yep," Veronica said. "I'll bring some sprite up here for her. Anything else might make her sick to her stomach."

"Okay." Puck's eyes were back on Sabrina, fixated on her resting form. He didn't look like he planned on leaving her any time soon. "Should I ever try to wake her up?"

"Only if she's having a nightmare. She seems to have those a lot," Veronica murmured, reaching out to stroke her daughter's hair.

"Mmm," Sabrina mumbled, shifting. "Edward..."

"I am much cooler than Edward!" Puck insisted to Sabrina, scowling when he heard the name.

Sabrina's eyes started to flutter open. Veronica quickly leaned down and kissed her forehead, then left the room.

"...Puck?" she murmured, eyes opening finally. She was still extremely flushed and dazed.

Puck's eyes lit up. Now _that_ name was much more like it!

He grinned. "Hey, how're you feeling?" he asked. "You warm enough? I can get more blankets."

"Warm enough," she murmured, trying to sit up. A groan left her, and she decided not to do that for a while. "Where am I?"

"Your room and your bed," Puck replied. "You passed out downstairs so I brought you up here. And before you insist you're fine, you _are_ running a fever, and you're going to rest. I have soup for you."

Sabrina couldn't help but smile. "You brought me soup?" she asked, reaching for him. She couldn't find his hand. She kept missing.

Puck moved his hand and caught hers easily. "Yep," he said. "Well, the Marshmallow made it and brought it up. I've been making sure it stays warm."

"That's so sweet," she murmured, voice a bit dreamy. "I had a dream about you..."

Puck grinned, shifting on the bed and running his thumb over her knuckles. "A good one, I hope," he said.

"Mmhmm," she smiled sleepily, clutching his hand. "You dressed like Peter Pan and took me flying."

'_WHAT?'_Puck twitched. "Flying, sure," he said. "Flying I could handle. But you will never catch me wearing tights. Nope. Never. Besides, how does he fly, anyway? At least I have wings."

"Magic dust," Sabrina explained, as if it was the most reasonable thing in the world. "And you'd look so cute dressed as Peter..." Her eyes fluttered open and shut as she spoke.

"No tights," Puck said firmly. It was only because she was sick that he wasn't yelling. "Never. And magic dust..._really?_ Come on. That's not at all practical. Wings, now, those are practical. Wings make sense. Thinking happy thoughts and flying because of them? No sense."

Sabrina pouted, sticking her lower lip out and looking disappointed. In her sickened state, she may have even started crying, expression honestly upset.

Puck's eyes widened slowly. He had never been able to deal with her crying that well, and the look on her face was killing him. "....Are you disappointed because I won't wear tights?" he asked in disbelief.

"I think happy thoughts," Sabrina said, voice wavering.

Puck nearly fell over. "Yes, you do!" he said. "Which is just proof that thinking happy thoughts and flying don't have anything to do with each other, because you don't end up flying when you just think happy thoughts! If you want to fly, I'll take you flying."

She curled up a bit more, still pouting. "I wanted to be Wendy. Daphne was Tinker bell. We never had a Peter Pan."

How the heck did he keep getting in to these situations? Before Puck knew it, he found himself saying the one thing he never thought he'd say.

"I could be your Peter Pan," he muttered. The words almost hurt, but he couldn't stand that pout on her face.

"Really, Puck?" Sabrina looked up at him, eyes large and a little teary. She looked incredibly cute and clearly delirious from her fever.

Puck nodded - and he prayed that she wouldn't remember any of this when her fever was over. "Yeah," he said, squeezing her hand.

Sabrina beamed at him. "I love you, Puck."

She yawned, then fell right back asleep. That was when Veronica started laughing from outside the door.

Puck's eyes went HUGE.

"Were you listening?" he sputtered in the direction of the door.

Veronica only laughed harder, before heading down the hall. Her laughter faded the farther away she got.

Puck groaned, and looked back at Sabrina. "The things I do for you," he grumbled, watching his sick girlfriend sleep off her fever.

***.*.*.*.***

It took nearly four days for Sabrina's fever to break, and she'd been asleep during most of that time. She had woken up briefly for basic needs and food, but her fever had been just as stubborn as she normally was. During that time, Daphne and Kerdy had taken over the fairytale business with the help of Relda, Henry, Jake and Briar. Though Jake had been making himself scarce to spend time with his girlfriend, he had agreed to step in and help when they needed.

Research for the North Wind had led them to delve deeper into the Fairytale of Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf, which had uncovered the truth. With Kerdy at her side, Daphne had managed to use the North Wind to free Red from the evil clutches of whatever had tormented the young girl's mind, and though Red had been disoriented, she was taken to the court to testify.

William had never been happier to see her—because her testimony had been enough to help clear the Wolf of all charges, given that Daphne was able to purge the evil the same way. He had been tense ever since finding out that Bluebeard was the prosecuting lawyer, acting oddly jumpy and keeping his sword with him. In the entire time Bluebeard had been near the town, William hadn't let Snow leave his side. He'd made up excuses about being under stress and wanting to be around her, but Snow had figured out that it was worry over Bluebeard coming after her. Normally she would have been offended, but Bluebeard scared her, and she really just didn't want to be around him.

For whatever reason, though the rage and the evil had been forcibly removed from Mr. Canis, he retained the qualities of the Wolf. He couldn't call upon it fully, but had told the others he planned to use meditation to recover both his memories and his abilities to control his new power. This had caused a slight bond between himself and Red, since the little girl remembered almost nothing of her entire life, except for the Wolf.

Relda had taken custody of Red, to watch over her and allow Mr. Canis to help her regain her memories. With Daphne and Kerdy instantly making the girl feel welcome, she had easily started to relax around them.

Unfortunately, no one was sure how Sabrina would react—especially given that Red was going to end up sharing with the girls. Veronica had seemed to think she had a solution, but she wouldn't tell anyone what it was. For the main part, Kerdy and Puck were just grateful that Sabrina had slept through the trial. Neither had wanted her around Bluebeard at all (although Kerdy had tried to act as a Kerdy-shield whenever the man was around, standing in front of Daphne) and it was good to give her less stress. Unfortunately, it was also a problem that she hadn't seen the North Wind in action—everyone knew she'd be less likely to trust Red OR Mr. Canis.

A day after the trial ended and everyone was getting settled in the Grimm house again, Sabrina's fever finally broke. She had only suffered through one nightmare and a rambling dream where Puck had been a vampire named Peter Pan, but every time he tried to think happy thoughts and fly, big pink wings sprouted from his back and sparkled. Then he'd hide in a tree when the sun came up, because he didn't want to be sparkly.

Daphne had giggled for over twenty minutes while Sabrina had moaned 'be sparkly, Puck… be sparkly' through her feverish dream. Kerdy had gotten her out of the room before Puck could kill her.

***.*.*.*.***

Sabrina awoke with a stiff feeling in her neck, her eyes fluttering open slowly. Her last dream had been weird—she'd dreamt that she'd been wrapped in tin foil, looking up at a big red light. A baked potato next to her, also wrapped in tinfoil, had sprouted wings and said "Jeez Grimm, wake up already". Thankfully, someone in her dream had turned the oven off and placed her (tin foil and all) in a nice soft bed. When she looked around, however, she knew she wasn't dreaming. And hopefully Puck wouldn't be a baked-potato-Puck when she saw him.

She hated fevers.

"Oh, good, you're awake again," Puck said, looking at Sabrina when he saw her eyes open. He hadn't left her side, except for when she needed a shower or a bathroom break. Even then, he'd badgered someone to keep taking her temperature, and threatened bodily harm if they even thought about telling Sabrina how he was acting. He looked at her searchingly. "Are you coherent this time?" He was perched in his usual spot on the edge of Sabrina's bed, holding her hand.

Sabrina blinked up at him in a daze, and then rubbed at her eyes. "My head feels fuzzy," she mumbled. "What time is it?" At least she was sure she knew the difference between dreams and reality.

Puck craned his neck to locate the clock. "About eleven in the morning," he said. "You've been sleeping a lot. How do you feel?"

"Like I've been in bed for a month. I swear, I had some weird dreams. In one of them, you said you'd take me to Neverland," Sabrina joked, having no idea that he'd said it to her while she'd been deliriously whining about Peter Pan for the third time.

_'Awesome, she thinks that was just a dream,_' Puck thought with satisfaction. "Yeah, definitely gotta be a weird dream," he said, giving a shudder.

"Sorry," Sabrina grinned, sitting up and stretching. "Is the trial still going? We should swing by."

"The trial's been over for a day," Puck replied with a shake of his head. "You've been sick for four days, actually."

"WHAT?" Sabrina yelped. A moment later, she'd practically flown out of bed, throwing off her nightgown and rifling through her dresser for something to wear. She didn't notice the extra bed near the window, or the fact that she'd just gone down to her underwear in front of Puck. She'd thought she'd been wearing a pajama shirt, camisole, and pants, not a full nightgown.

"I gotta get dressed and go find Daphne," Sabrina muttered to herself, finding a shirt and moving to pull it on.

Puck sat on the bed, absolutely frozen, with the biggest wide-eyed look on his face ever. His eyes had gone so wide, in fact, that they looked like they were going to fall right out of his head.

He couldn't even think of anything witty to say. The only thing his brain was processing was that he'd just got a full view of Sabrina-in-underwear, a sight that he'd been sure he wouldn't see for, oh, another five years or so. It was permanently imprinted on his mind.

"Puck, what happened with the trial?" Sabrina asked, pulling on the white and red striped t-shirt she'd pulled out. She turned to face him, frowning. "Why are you staring?"

The t-shirt didn't fall very far past her belly button, so the big smiley-face right on the front of her panties was visible to Puck. Puck's face was slowly but surely turning red as his eyes fixated on the smiley face. He'd never seen anything quite so...happy... before.

He choked a little. "Uh..." All he could do was raise his arm and point. "Smiley face?"

"..." Sabrina looked down at herself.

The shriek she gave echoed throughout the entire house, and then she was throwing anything she could get her hands on. "GET OUT OF MY ROOM, PUCK!"

From downstairs, Red yelped, jumping and hitting her knee on the table. She was having lunch with everyone, getting to know them since she was going to be staying with them indefinitely. "Wh-what was that?"

"...I'm not sure I want to know," Veronica answered honestly.

Henry instantly moved to his feet, and Daphne giggled. "Daddy, Puck's just taking care of Sabrina, and I think that means she's feeling better," she said. "You can't be mad at him for being in her room when he's taking care of her!"

Henry scowled, even though he knew that Daphne was right.

"OW!" Puck's echoed from upstairs. "WATCH WHAT YOU'RE THROW-OW! THAT ALMOST HIT MY WING!"

"Oh my," Relda said, looking amused.

"Oh dear," Veronica murmured. "I hope Sabrina looked at herself before she decided to change clothes."

"Why?" Jake asked casually, putting his arm around Briar. He'd brought her by for a lunch date, and they planned to go out afterwards for coffee.

"Well, she normally doesn't wear a nightgown, but Daphne dressed her," Veronica explained. "And she changes clothes… Er… Rashly."

"...Oh," Jake grinned, hearing more shouting and slamming.

Briar's eyes widened, and then she giggled, hiding her smile behind her mouth. "I think I understand why Puck keeps yelling 'ow'," she said. She looked at Jake fondly. The more time she spent with him, the more she found herself falling in love with him, and she enjoyed getting to know his family.

Daphne bit her lip. "Was there something wrong with putting Sabrina in a nightgown...?" she asked uncertainly.

"Not at all, _liebling_," Relda said with amusement.

Jake cuddled Briar--it was rare to find them together if his arm wasn't around her. "Sabrina's feisty."

"She sounds angry," Red whispered, looking around nervously.

"She's not really angry, just... Okay well she's angry right now," Veronica admitted. "But she's usually very sweet."

A moment later, Sabrina stormed downstairs in a pair of jeans and her t-shirt, hair a bit disheveled and 'kill Puck' written all over her face.

"Well, it looks like you're feeling better," Henry said, looking at Sabrina. Of Puck there was no sign - no doubt he was nursing whatever bruises he'd suffered at Sabrina's hands before coming down.

Mr. Canis looked over. The last time he'd seen Sabrina had been at the pool - and that day seemed like almost a lifetime ago already. So much had happened since then - but he was relieved to see that she, at least, looked the same.

Sabrina paused in the doorway, taking in the scene. She hadn't had any warning, thanks to flashing Puck. Seeing Mr. Canis and Red in her dining room was not something she could deal with easily. Especially because Red, though not wearing a hood, looked similar to a girl that Sabrina had seen in her reoccurring nightmare. It struck her so suddenly and off guard that she pushed it back and simply focused on the obvious.

"What are they doing here?" she asked, looking to Henry.

Red shifted uneasily. She was incredibly shy and sweet, and honestly couldn't remember where she'd seen Sabrina before.

That was when Henry realized Puck hadn't had a chance to explain to Sabrina what had taken place.

He walked over to her, putting his hand on her arm. "Mr. Canis was found not guilty," he said. "And Red - well, she's come to live here with us. There's a lot for us to tell you."

"Red's a psychopath," Sabrina said, frowning. "Remember? She tried to kill me."

"I... I'm sorry," Red stammered at the accusation. She stood up, looking ready to run away. She hadn't even had time to do one session of meditation with Mr. Canis yet.

"You don't have to be sorry, Red," Daphne said, looking at the other girl. Mr. Canis reached over and touched Red's shoulder gently, silently indicating for her to stay seated.

"All of that was an effect of something much greater, _liebling_," Relda said. "One could say that Red was ill - and that she's now cured from that illness."

"Great--hey while we're at it, how about Nottingham and the Jabberwocky stop by for tea?" Sabrina snapped, watching Red hesitantly sit down.

Jake sighed. "Well, I think it's time Briar and I headed out... Uh. Have fun explaining things, Hank."

"Gee thanks," Veronica said.

Henry scowled in Jake's direction, but he couldn't say that he blamed his brother for making a quick escape. Briar didn't seem like she was eager to be left behind, either, as she held on to Jake's arm. Puck came downstairs then, looking wary - he was relieved when Sabrina didn't have anything in her hands.

"Sabrina, let's go into the living room and sit down," Henry said. "We'll tell you everything."

Sabrina frowned, but she didn't object. She didn't look at Mr. Canis or Red, though.

The little girl nervously touched Mr. Canis' hand, looking up at him with an unsure expression. She glanced back at Sabrina's retreating form, then at Daphne. "I don't think she likes me," she said softly.

"It's not that," Jake said, putting a hand on Red's head as he and Briar passed. "She's just gonna have a hard time accepting things. Don't worry, the rest of us don't blame you for the things you did when you were... Well, possessed."

"I wish I could remember," Red said softly.

"We'll work on retrieving your memories," Mr. Canis said quietly, speaking of the meditation training that they would be having. "You and I will work together." He looked at Red seriously, keeping his hand against hers.

"Uncle Jake's right," Daphne said. "Sabrina will come around." She smiled at Red. She wanted to do her best to make the other girl feel at ease in their home.

Red looked up at Mr. Canis, her eyes shining. She managed a ghost of a smile, looking more relaxed than she ever had. She was drawn to Mr. Canis. He was a kindred spirit, and they were linked by the fairytale that had given them immortality. She had no one else left in the world, just strangers offering her a new family. He was a link to her life before the pain and the voices.

Mr. Canis returned the smile. What he wanted at this point, more than anything, was to help Red recover her lost memories, and to recover her place in the world. The possession - for both of them - that thrown them both into chaos, but he suspected it had been worse for the little girl. For starters, her age - at least he was a full-grown adult. And though he had gained control and fought the Wolf down, she had never been able to free herself from her madness until now.

"After we finish eating, we should begin the meditation lessons," Mr. Canis said to Red. "Are you all right with that?"

Red nodded. "Okay," she said softly. "Thank you."

"It'll have to wait, we have other plans," Veronica said, causing most of her family to look at her in confusion.

***.*.*.*.***

Henry walked over to the couch with Sabrina, Puck ducking into the room after them. "A lot of things came to light at the trial, Sabrina," Henry said. "Things concerning Red and Mr. Canis both."

"Did they take the insanity plea?" Sabrina asked, still looking irritated.

Henry shook his head. He was sitting beside Sabrina on the couch, trying to think out the best way to explain all of this to her. "Mr. Canis was found not guilty on all charges."

"Who paid the jury?" Sabrina asked in annoyance.

"No one, Sabrina," Henry said, his tone firm. "Red's madness, and Mr. Canis' darkness - the entire story was revealed at the trial. Neither was at fault. "

Sabrina still looked skeptical, but she decided to wait until she heard the entire story. Once she had (and Henry had to give her credit for not interrupting while he explained it all in great detail, including the trial and the new fairytale), she simply frowned and pushed her hair back. "So you're saying... Daphne did an exorcism on Red Riding Hood and Mr. Canis, and they're all better now?"

Henry nodded. "Essentially yes," he said. "Unfortunately, Red doesn't have any of her memories of the time she _was_ afflicted with the evil, so she doesn't remember anything from when your mother and I were enchanted. Mr. Canis is going to work with her to recover those memories as best as he can."

"Peachy," Sabrina sighed. "And if she snaps again and tries to kill us all in our sleep? Where's she staying, anyway?"

Henry paused for just a moment before he answered Sabrina, and Puck braced himself because he already knew the answer to that question.

"She's staying with us," Henry said. "Your grandmother's taken her in."

"I figured that much, honestly," Sabrina said, frowning. "But are we building another addition or something?

"No," Henry said. "Red's going to share a room with you and Daphne." He realized that Sabrina must not have seen the extra bed that had been placed in the room - most likely she'd been too busy throwing things at Puck.

"Funny," Sabrina said, looking at Henry and scowling. "Seriously, where is she going to stay?"

Henry shook his head. "I'm being perfectly serious, Sabrina," he said. "There's already an extra bed in your room."

"...YOU'RE SHACKING US UP WITH A PSYCHO?" Sabrina demanded, jumping to her feet.

"Sabrina!" Henry rose to his own feet. "You heard what I told you. What made Red that way is gone now. She's no longer like that."

"I need air," Sabrina snapped, heading for the door and fumbling to slide her shoes on over her socks.

"Sabrina..." Henry started, and then stopped. Sabrina was more like him than anyone - if she needed a walk to clear her head, then she needed one. He wouldn't stop her. It wasn't like he was having the easiest time dealing with the changes, either. If it hadn't been for Veronica's insistence that it would work out, he might not have been willing to agree.

Puck also didn't intend to stop her - he just didn't intend to let her out of his sight. He headed for the door as well.

Puck was the only reason Sabrina didn't slam the door behind her when she left. She'd had a feeling he'd end up following, and didn't want to stop him or accidentally hurt him. Still, she needed to get away from the cramped and cozy little home, and sort her thoughts elsewhere.

Concerned, but figuring she just needed to blow off steam, Puck jogged after Sabrina to close the short distance between them. He fell into step beside her, shoving his hands into his pockets. He didn't say anything at first, waiting for her to speak when she was ready.

They passed several houses and buildings before Sabrina slowed her pace, glancing out at the park. "This sucks," she said finally.

"I should have warned you about Red before you went downstairs," Puck said, looking at her.

"You really should have," Sabrina said in annoyance, looking at him. The wounds from the bank collapse had mostly healed, as well as her wounds from the Wolf. Her long blonde hair was mostly tame and long, but a single lock of hair cut off mid-cheek from the glass that had tried to take out her eye.

"I was a lot more concerned with the fact that you'd been sick for four days," Puck said. He turned towards her. "It slipped by mind." Being pelted by anything and everything in her room hadn't helped either, but eh, he'd kind of deserved that.

Rolling her eyes, Sabrina turned away and crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't like it," she muttered. "It just doesn't seem real. And I saw her. I _saw her."_

"We all saw her," Puck said, confused as to why Sabrina was emphasizing that. Anyone with eyes had seen Red, right?

"I mean before," Sabrina shuddered. "Puck, did I have any nightmares while I was sick? Did I say anything?" She looked to him, expression worried.

Puck frowned slightly, and then nodded. "Yeah," he said, "you had nightmares. And you did talk."

"Did I ever mention a girl?" Sabrina asked, pausing in her walking to look at him.

Puck paused, and then shook his head. He'd gone over several of the things that Sabrina had said in her sleep - but he couldn't remember her saying anything about a girl. "Not that I heard."

Sabrina sighed and looked away again, trouble and apprehension storming in her blue eyes. "I saw her in my dreams, but I didn't recognize her because she always looked insane when I met her. The Red Riding Hood I saw in my dining room was the same one in my dreams."

That caught Puck off guard, and he put his hand on her arm, looking at her. "You saw Red in your dreams? The same ones that were freaking you out before you got sick?" he asked, sounding as perplexed as he felt.

She turned to him at the touch. "Yeah. And the dreams weren't pleasant. Let's leave it at that."

"But they're just dreams - aren't they?" Puck asked. "I mean, they can be odd, but they can't actually hurt you."

"I guess," Sabrina sighed. "But I still don't trust her."

Puck nodded. "Yeah, I can understand that," he said. "I mean, you've been out of it for the last four days, you didn't see what anyone else saw. Heck, I didn't either, but then again I've been around her for a day already."

"I can't believe they put her in my room," Sabrina said quietly, half to herself.

"Where else were they going to put her?" Puck asked. "There aren't that many rooms, and your sister wanted her there."

"Easy for you to say!" Sabrina yanked her arm away from him and started walking again. "You always got your own room, you never had to share with other people and give up all your privacy!"

She flinched at the memory, thinking of the days in the orphanage. She wanted her own room, and her own privacy, but little by little, she kept losing it.

Puck's eyes widened. "I never realized you wanted to have your own room, Sabrina," he said. She'd always shared with Daphne. He'd never thought she had a problem with that.

"Yeah, well it's not like I've ever had a chance to have any of the luxuries I wanted," she said bitterly, picking up her pace.

Puck picked up his as well. "Tell me some of them," he said. "The things that you want."

"Why bother? Any time things are looking good, something tries to kill me, I get cursed, or we start rooming with psychos," Sabrina muttered wiping at her eyes. She hadn't been crying, but her eyes stung as if she were about to cry. "And there's a new baby on the way and we're already in that tiny house with everyone..."

"Just because things are like that now doesn't mean they always will be," Puck said. "You might still be able to get the things you want."

"When I grow up and get out of this place," Sabrina sighed.

Then she paused, realizing what she'd said.

Puck's pace slowed a little, faltering. "You...still want to leave here?" he asked.

She turned to look at him. "Some...Day, I guess," she muttered. "See what I mean about not getting the luxuries I want? I wanted us to be able to leave together someday. As long as I'm at it, I may as well wish for a pony."

She turned back away from him.

"If there's a way for me to be able to leave the barrier that _doesn't_ involve killing anyone in your family or making them leave or anything," Puck said, "I'd take it. Especially if you wanted to leave."

"But there's not. Not without causing a riot or killing someone with a Jabberwocky," Sabrina said. "Forget I even mentioned it."

She changed course to go into the park, finding the nearest good tree and starting to climb it.

He paused at the bottom of the trunk. "Whatcha going up there for?"

"I like trees," Sabrina answered simply. "That's another thing I never got. A tree house. The trees around Granny's place suck, and hard to have a tree house in the big city."

Puck perked up. "A tree house, huh?" he asked. He grasped one of the branches and pulled himself up nimbly, following after her.

"Yeah. I always pretended I was climbing trees and stuff when Daphne and I broke out of high-floor apartments," Sabrina found a nice branch near the top and settled on it. "Daphne probably imagined she was the princess escaping a tower."

"That sounds like something she'd do," Puck said, pulling himself on to another branch that let him look at her, but didn't run the risk of putting too much weight on the same area of the tree. "So what kind of tree house would you want?"

Sabrina frowned thoughtfully. Why not let herself dream for an afternoon? It was helping her calm down over losing another chunk of her room. "Something really high up," she decided. "Kinda like--" she broke off and grinned at her own joke, deciding to change her course. "A place that would be comfortable enough to live in, with snacks and pillows and blankets, with a clear view of the stars. I'd want it to be secluded enough that it could be like my own little world, but close enough to family that I'd never get lonely. _NO _monkeys, or spiders, or anything creepy--but maybe vines to swing from."

Puck's grin slowly grew. "Sounds like a pretty fantastic place," he said. "You've given it a lot of thought, haven't you?"

"I guess. You dream a lot when you're on a flat, uncomfortable board meant to pass as a bed, listening to other kids snoring and farting because someone thought it'd be a good idea to cram over a dozen kids in one tiny room," Sabrina said with a shrug. "I barely even remember life before the Scarlet Hand and the orphanage anymore."

"I can't even begin to imagine what that was like for you," Puck said with a shake of his head. "I mean, before you showed up I'd been on my own for about ten years, but it wasn't like it was hard for me. You had it a lot worse."

Sabrina was silent for a long while. Then she closed her eyes and leaned against the tree. "I don't know if I want to stay here forever, Puck."

Puck swung his legs a bit, leaning against the trunk of the tree. "I know," he said after a moment. "This place never really has been home for you."

"And it never will be," Sabrina said quietly. "Daphne fits in perfectly, but this is just... A temporary home for me. I don't know where I want to go."

"You're thirteen," Puck said, "You don't have to figure that out yet." He looked at her. "I know how you feel, Grimm, really - this has never really been home for me, either."

"Has any place ever been a home to you?" she asked, opening her eyes to look at him.

Puck looked thoughtful. "Hmm," he mused. "You know, I honestly don't know. I guess maybe New York, although I never got along with my dad. Most of my life was over in Europe, but that was a _long_ time ago."

"Let's find a way to leave Ferryport Landing together," Sabrina murmured. "Sometime in the future. We'll find a place that feels like home."

"Deal," Puck said with a nod. "You and me - there's got to be a place for us somewhere. Together."

"You're sounding like Edward Cullen again," she teased.

"No way!" Puck shook his head in denial. "I'm sounding _cooler_ than Edward Cullen! Remember that."

Sabrina laughed. She closed her eyes and enjoyed just relaxing for a minute, before opening her eyes again. "I guess I have to give Red a chance if I'm gonna do this whole 'brand new improved Sabrina' thing," she sighed.

"Probably, yeah," Puck said in agreement. "You'll manage - you always do." He flashed her a grin.

"Gee thanks," Sabrina said. "It would have been nice if I could have gotten my own room, though. It'd make trusting the little psycho a lot easier."

"Maybe you should ask?" Puck suggested. "They might be able to clear out one of the other rooms or something. Daphne and Red are pretty much the same age, they could share the room."

"We don't have any room," Sabrina sighed. "Not with so many people living there, and a baby on the way."

"Then I'll just have to think of something," Puck said cheerfully, sounding as if it were that simple.

"Dad already said I'm not sharing with you, dummy." She couldn't help but grin though, cheered up at his optimism.

"Hey, a guy can dream, can't he?" Puck joked, his eyes shining as he looked at her. "Maybe I can use my charm to get them to put on another addition."

"Right, as soon as we collect the money growing on the trees outside the house," she replied sarcastically.

"Hmm." He snapped his fingers. "I know. I'll convince Charming to fork over the money." The idea was utterly ludicrous, but Puck enjoyed picturing the expression on Charming's face if he was asked the question.

Sabrina laughed. "Charming's got a stick up his butt more so than usual--he has his own baby on the way! Nice try, but you'll have to think of something better."

"You think all dads-to-be get that way before the baby gets here?" Puck asked. "Or is it just Charming?"

"Probably just Charming. I hope he has a little girl and she drives him nuts like Daphne does."

Puck almost fell backwards out of the tree with laughter. "Can you imagine Charming with a little girl? Especially if she looks like her mother?"

Sabrina grinned, trying to picture it. She kept seeing a Daphne-sized girl with Charming's face and scowl. The image made her laugh so hard she almost lost her balance as well.

"I would _love_ to be able to see what's going through your head right now," Puck snickered, looking at Sabrina in amusement.

"Shut up and get me down from here," she laughed, becoming tangled in a few branches.

Puck got up and made his way carefully over to her, helping to untangle her. "Think anyone would see if I used my wings to get us down?" he asked, his eyes gleaming.

She looked around. "Nah. Seems empty today," she grinned, turning to him and wrapping her arms around him. "Drop me and die."

"I like living, thanks," Puck said with amusement. He unfurled his wings, wrapped his arms around her, and flew down from the top of the tree to the ground.

"So, Bluebeard didn't cause any trouble?" Sabrina asked when they touched down. "Dad said he was the lawyer trying to get Mr. Canis put in jail."

"I didn't hear of him doing anything in particular," Puck said, "other than being a creep. I'm glad you weren't there, though."

"Me too, actually," Sabrina snuggled in his arms. "So did I say anything weird while I was sick? Mom used to say I talked in my sleep when I had fevers or colds."

"Yeah, you said some weird stuff," Puck said. He grinned. "Some of it I'm not going to remind you of."

"Thanks," she grinned at him. "I don't think I'm ready to go home yet."

"Want to go somewhere?" Puck asked. "Get something to eat, maybe? You haven't had lunch yet, and neither have I."

At the mention of food, her stomach gave a very loud grumble. "Food sounds good. Did you bring money?"

Puck reached into his pocket, and tugged out a wallet. He flipped it open. "Yep," he said, looking at the bills inside. "Allowances are awesome."

"You get an allowance?" Sabrina demanded.

Puck looked sheepish. "Well, uh, it's more like I hit your uncle up for some cash earlier. And I did it when Briar was there, so he couldn't refuse, and she gave me a little extra too."

"Puck!" Sabrina smacked him. "You're impossible!"

"Hey, hey!" Puck said, holding up his hands in self-defense. "It means I get to treat you to lunch, doesn't it?" He gave her his best innocent "you love me, you know you do" look.

She scowled, but the hunger was gnawing at her, so she gave in. "Fine. You'd better spend it all on lunch, then."

Puck grinned. "So where do you want to go?" he asked.

Sabrina thought for a moment, then picked the closest place, unable to decide on what would taste best or cost more. She just felt like eating real food.

***.*.*.*.***

"Something troubling you, sweetie?"

Kerdy nearly bit his spoon in half, choking on his cereal and quickly swallowing the bite he'd taken. He looked up and shook his head. "No mom, I'm fine. Why?" He was sitting at the yellow cedar table that a friend of his mother's had carved for them years ago. It still smelled fresh, with little rose designs along the border and in the center. Most everything in their house was hand-carved or home-grown, little flowerbeds in the windowsills and knickknacks on every shelf.

They had an expansive collection of books and scripts overflowing shelves and counters, a nice big fireplace surrounded by cozy chairs and couches, and a chart along one wall that tracked the kids' growth. Kai was quite the craftsman, having spent most of his free time in the past hundred or so years working on various hobbies. The tallest notch in the wood was Forse's, the shortest obviously Kerdy's, but all four of the 'children' had been measured every year until they stopped growing. Kerdy tried not to think about how his mark hadn't budged in awhile.

He glanced down at the glass bowl he was using, one of a set of lamp-work dishes that Kai had made for Gerda. There was a rose design at the bottom with a heart in the center, a symbol of Kai's everlasting love for his wife. After a moment, he glanced back up at his mother. Her golden hair hung down around her shoulders and upper back, and despite the fact that it nearly noon, she still wore her cozy pajamas. They were fleece, with reindeer all over them.

Gerda cocked her head to the side, looking at him curiously. "You've been pretty dazed ever since your friend Mr. Canis was arrested. I thought it would go away now that he's been cleared, but you seem distracted."

"I-I'm not distracted," Kerdy insisted. "Oh look at the time, is it noon already? I'll go visit Daphne and Red," He said, standing up.

"You slept in pretty late today," Gerda commented, not even bothering to look at the large clock—besides, it chimed notes of her favorite melody every hour on the hour, and she'd already heard it.

"Didn't he always?" Garret yawned, walking into the room and sitting down. "Hey mom."

"Morning, Garret," Gerda said in amusement. "Where's your twin?"

"How long are you guys staying in the area? It's been over two months now," Kerdy grumbled. His hair felt like a bird's nest; none of his brothers could resist messing it up or tousling it when they were close enough.

"I'm here!" Rae said cheerfully, darting into the room and promptly helping himself to a tousling of Kerdy's hair. "And what's wrong, Kerdy, don't you like having us around? We're your big brothers after all." He grinned at his little brother, going over to Garret.

Kerdy scowled and tried to fix his hair. "You guys never stick around this long."

"We visit on birthdays," Garret said, looking hurt.

"You missed three," Kerdy said.

"No way--you're what, fourteen now?"

Kerdy turned an odd shade of pale 'ohcrap'.

Rae tilted his head to one side as he slipped into his seat. "What's wrong, Kerdy?" he asked, noticing how pale his little brother suddenly looked.

Kai looked up from the newspaper that he'd been reading and looked at Kerdy in concern. "You do look a bit pale," he noted.

"Kerdy's not fourteen, he's..." Gerda trailed off suddenly.

"Time to go," Kerdy stood hurriedly.

"Little brother," Garret asked. "Did you stop aging yourself?"

"..." Kerdy stared at them blankly.

"Eh?" Rae asked, his eyes widening.

Kai put down his newspaper in surprise. Since they spent every day with Kerdy, he simply hadn't noticed that Kerdy was no longer aging. "Kerdy?" he inquired.

A hand suddenly landed on top of Kerdy's head. "Huh," Forse said, standing behind him. "You really _haven't_ grown in awhile, have you?"

"Forse!" Kerdy complained. "I-I'm in no rush to be forever eighteen like you guys or anything..."

"But you WERE in a rush to get bigger," Garret said, standing up and putting one hand on his hip. "But you stopped aging at your puny age? And if you're still looking that way... You stopped aging years ago!"

"I-I did not!" Kerdy yelped, flailing and trying to dislodge Forse's grip.

"There must be a reason," Rae said, looking closely at Kerdy, as Forse pulled his hand back but stayed where he was so that Kerdy couldn't escape. "You wouldn't stop aging for no reason."

"I bet," Garret said, walking over quickly and tossing Kerdy up into the air suddenly. "It has to do with a certain _princess."_

"PUT ME DOWN!" Kerdy yelped.

Gerda jumped to her feet. "OH! Kerdy, have you fallen in love, and stopped aging to be with her?" she gasped in delight.

"Dad help!"

But Kai was standing up now, and smiling. "This is about the young Grimm girl, then?" he asked. "That's very noble of you, Kerdy, to stop your aging so that she'll catch up with you."

Forse couldn't help but laugh. "You're not getting any assistance here, Kerdy," he said with a grin. He wiped at an imaginary tear in his eye. "Our little Kerdy is growing up...well, he will be once she does."

"Guys!" Kerdy complained. "We can't be su-ACK!"

Garret easily tossed Kerdy in the air, over to Forse. "Look, we can still toss him around, Forse! And he's staying little for a _long time! TOSS-THE-KERDY TIME!"_

"Yay!" Gerda beamed. "My baby is going to be happy!" And unlike her reaction when Kerdy had been a toddler, she didn't freak out about them 'cracking her baby open'. Besides, they'd only dropped Kerdy once, and it had been in the snow.

Forse grinned broadly as he caught Kerdy, and then passed him back to Garret. "Awesome!" he said, clearly pleased. "We won't have to give up our entertainment." Toss-the-Kerdy was something the three older brothers had been doing for a long time.

Rae couldn't stop himself from laughing. "You realize we're going to have to get to know your little princess now, Kerdy?" he asked. "She'll be part of the family."

"Guys!" Kerdy whined.

"Oh man, I don't think Kerdy can control it, either!" Garret tossed Kerdy over to Rae.

Rae laughed and caught Kerdy, then hugged him tightly. "That's so cute, Kerdy!" he said happily. "Does she know yet?"

Kerdy tried to get his feet on the ground. "NO! She doesn't know!"

"You admit to it!" Garret laughed.

"Argh!" Kerdy flailed. "Sabrina and Puck figured it out, not me!"

"And what do they think of it?" Kai asked with a smile, looking over at his wife tenderly. Their Kerdy was falling in love. "Sabrina is Daphne's sister, correct?"

Gerda beamed, looking absolutely delighted. She started talking to herself about baking a 'Kerdy's in love' cake, bouncing in place and clasping her hands together.

"Yes," Kerdy groaned, yelping as he was cuddled and then tossed back to Garret.

"Oh, I'm so thrilled! We should invite the Grimms for dinner!" Gerda said happily, breaking out of her 'cake' thoughts when Kerdy answered.

Garret had been about to toss Kerdy over to Kai (who had indulged and played Toss-the-Kerdy back when Kerdy had been a little boy) when the sound of glass shattering stopped him.

Gerda whirled around to see that the kitchen window had been broken. A large brick with a piece of paper tied to it had been thrown in. Expression serious, Garret set his youngest brother down and headed into the kitchen. If not for the games and laughter, Gerda would have been in that very spot, washing dishes.

All laughter vanished from the faces of those in the room. The game became the last thing on everyone's minds as the shock of the brick, and the notice of where it had landed, sank in.

Forse followed Garret into the kitchen, as Rae and Kai hung back with Kerdy and Gerda for the moment. Forse looked at the brick. "...we better look at that."

Garret snatched it out of the middle of some broken glass, holding it up. "Doesn't say much. But it says enough."

He showed the brick to Forse, as Kerdy pushed past Rae and Kai, heading to the kitchen to look. The paper only had one thing printed on it--rather, painted. A blood-red hand.

***.*.*.*.***

**A/N:**

**Ayns: **! My turn! I didn't get to say aaaaanything in the beginning…and since, for the first time, this isn't being edited after midnight, I'm not on the verge of falling asleep.

I must say that I'm looking forward to the one-shots that the winners request – I always do love a writing challenge. I hope that once we start posting them, you'll all read them.

Please continue to support No Matter What and our addiction, because Sky and I are pretty darn addicted to this series and this story. /sigh. If only Book 8 would come out faster…then again, Book 8 will probably contradict a million things that we've written, because isn't that just how it always goes? But it'll have more Puck, and _that_ is the most important thing in the world. /waves a Puck flag.

Also, I'm attempting to perfect my technique at the Sisters Grimm art style in hopes of doing some illustrations for this, so I'll let you know as soon as I've managed to develop something that I'm not ashamed to show the public!

:D Good night, and please review so that we can continue writing so that we can post Chapter 18!

**Sky: P.S... The document manager was a real piece of crap on this one, and there were several spacing problems. I'm going back to try and fix them now, but I dunno if I'll see them all :(**

**P.S. again... I FINALLY FIXED IT TO 'HORIZONTALLY' XD 'Vertically' is gone. Silly Ayns. ^^**


	18. Family

**EDIT: Sky: Re-Added scene skips.**

**A/N:**

**Sky: **We're baaaack! We originally hadn't planned to rush editing and update this fast, but one of our awesome reviewers sent us a message, pleading with us to update before she had to go on a trip. And… We aim to please! So here's the next chapter (Although it's mainly filler, we still have some time skips)!

**Shout out to Tanglenight, for the awesome "No Matter What: Condensed Version" fanfic.** Seriously, I coughed up my lung while I was laughing. It's that funny. (Or I'm that weird.) And because some people freaked out: **Yes, we gave them permission to write and post this.**

**Check it out, and leave 'em some reviews!**

**Also, Pixiewings00's one-shot request has been posted. **Check that out too, if you have time ^^ :

**Ayns: **There's nothing like seeing a fanfic of your fanfic... I mean, how often does that happen? We're very honored.

And that one-shot was much fun to write, I thoroughly enjoyed writing an older Puck - and Charming = Awesome.

He's awesome in this chapter, too - you'll be seeing a lot of friends in this section, because let's face it, cute scenes are cute and I enjoy them very much. And Sky does such a wonderful job of giving me cute scenes.

And I attempt to return the favor by giving her Puck. Kekekeke.

**Sky: **^^ Happyface. Anyway, the fangirls may kill us for this cliffy. But bwahahahahahaha. Let us know whatcha think!

Thank you so much to our reviewers (with a very special _thank you_ to the reviewers who review each chapter. You guys really make our day^^ Feedback is awesome, but constant feedback is awesome+1. I will eventually find everyone who reviewed every chapter, and give a special dedication sometime later. Maybe when the fic ends X3) : **SeekDreamsAndFindHope, Schadenfreude62 **(Go read Mirror, Mirror, people!), **fangfan5, Ascaisil, Bluestocking inc, DragonFly, Trickster Queen464, obsessedwithbooks, msjezzi-bella, A CertainPeanutButterSandwich,curlscat, BoOkLuvEr303, dog9girl, pixiewings00, Lara D **(x2! XD), **Grrrgirl1, silent-entrance, 4evsSmeds543, Viva-Musica, RainbowofSmiles16, chemicalsilver, A.F. **(thank you^^)**, **Aaaaand, **emerald and onyx!**

Kay, ON TO THE MAIN EVENT!

***.*.*.*.***

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter Eighteen: Family_**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

Forse's expression turned hard. "The Scarlet Hand," he said, looking at it. "Why do you think they're sending us a message now?"

"I don't know," Garret said, unwrapping the note from the stone and turning it over. "Nothing else, just the handprint. This could've hurt Mom."

"Do you think it's because of our relationship to the Grimms?" Gerda asked, reaching for Kai's hand with a serious expression. "If they're going to make a move... They might be sending a warning to the Everafters to choose sides."

Kai took her hand and squeezed it. "It wouldn't surprise me," he said. He looked at his wife, and then at his children.

"Well, there's no need to discuss what side we're on, right?" Rae asked. He looked at his twin.

"Clearly. The runt's stuck in puberty mode for a pretty long time while he waits for the Grimm girl to grow up. If she died, we'd probably lose him too," Garret said.

"Don't even say that!" Kerdy responded quickly. He didn't even blush when his family looked at him. "I'll die before I let anything happen to Daphne. OR Sabrina."

"Yes, or Sabrina, but Sabrina's got Puck looking out for her, too," Forse said, looking at Kerdy. "So it's going to be up to you to help Daphne."

"I should call Relda and tell her about this," Gerda said in worry.

"I'm going there now," Kerdy said, hurrying from the room to get dressed and go.

"One of you, please go with your brother," Gerda ordered, looking sternly to her sons.

"I'll go," Forse said, knowing that the twins would rather not go anywhere without the other. He looked at them, and then went to his mother, kissing her cheek. "Be careful?"

"Of course," Gerda murmured, giving her son a tight hug. Kerdy was the only one left who didn't tower over her in the family now.

"You just keep an eye on your brother," Kai said to Forse. "And let us know what's going on."

Forse nodded, and turned to Garret and Rae. "We probably shouldn't go anywhere alone," he said. "But that's not normally a problem for you two."

Rae shook his head, looking at Garret.

Garret nodded in agreement, putting his arm around his twin. "We'll be fine. Just make sure Kerdy doesn't run headfirst into a fire or a sword or something. You know how he gets."

"I'll keep him in one piece," Forse said with a nod. Already fully dressed, he went to the stairs. "Ready to go, Kerdy?" he called up.

"Read-ACK!" Kerdy rounded the corner like he was trying to win a race, still pulling his shoe on. The result was that he caught his foot on a step, tangled himself in his sneakers, and went tumbling down.

Forse reached out and snagged Kerdy before he could hit the floor at the bottom of the stairs. "Whoa, easy there, little brother," he said. "You don't want to injure yourself before you get to see her."

Kerdy scowled at the floor as if it had tripped him on purpose, hurrying to straighten himself. "I'm worried now," he said, pausing just long enough to actually get his shoe on. "Sorry, Forse--I'll be careful. Can we go now?"

He'd put on a pair of khakis and a plain green t-shirt, his blonde hair disheveled and flopping over one of his eyes in the front. It was spiking a bit.

Forse nodded, putting his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Yeah," he said. "Let's go." He could tell that Kerdy was worried. Though Forse himself was single and had never had a serious relationship before, he could read the signs - Kerdy wasn't going to be able to focus on anything else for awhile.

"You have your car, right?" Kerdy asked. "It's not broken?" He knew Garret had a habit of just... breaking cars or bikes. No one could explain it. It also didn't matter who the vehicle actually _belonged to. _

"Not at all, I keep it in good condition," Forse promised. "It'll get us there in no time."

"Please hurry, then," Kerdy said, throwing open the door to the house and freezing.

Gerda had always kept beautiful gardens outside their home. She grew mostly roses, since it was the flower that often brought her and Kai together.

Every single rose had been slashed, nothing more than stems sticking out of the ground while their buds and petals wilted along the yard.

Forse nearly collided with Kerdy, and then he froze. "My god," he said, stunned at the scene that laid out in front of them. He grasped Kerdy's shoulder tightly. "How could...someone do this without us knowing?"

Kerdy stepped outside and picked up one of the fallen buds, holding it in his hands. "They came right up to our door... and we didn't notice?"

Kai, concerned when he noticed Kerdy and Forse pause in the doorway, came up behind them. "What happened...." his voice trailed off.

"I don't like this," Forse whispered, staring at the wilted petals. "I don't like this at all."

Kerdy didn't say anything else. He tucked the rose into a pocket on the side of his pants, heading for the car.

"Go," Kai said quietly, looking at Forse. "Call when you get there."

Forse nodded, looking grim as he pulled his keys out of his pocket and headed after his brother.

***.*.*.*.***

Briar smiled at Jake, her eyes shining as she sat across from him at the small round table. Their dates had become routine, and she looked forward to each and every one of them. Simply spending time with him was enough to put a smile on to her face.

"How's your coffee?" she asked, glancing at the coffee cup in front of him. She'd barely had any of hers - she'd been far too interested in watching him.

"Delicious," Jake said, smiling and taking both of her hands in his. "And I can't complain about the company, either."

Briar blushed, lowering her eyes shyly. "You always make me feel like a blushing schoolgirl, Jake," she said softly. "It must be one of your talents."

Jake flashed her a dazzling grin, meant to woo her. "Why don't we finish up here, and I'll cook you something at your place?"

Briar looked up, and her eyes were shining both at his grin and his words. "That sounds wonderful," she said. "I love your cooking."

"I learned for you, babe," he said with a wink, putting money on the table, even though they were at Briar's coffee place. It usually made Buzzflower at least, scowl less and let him walk by without being jabbed by a stirring rod or a fork.

Briar blushed again - she loved any pet name that he came up with for her. She moved to stand up and cast a happy look in Mallobarb and Buzzflower's direction - she was very happy that they were willing to take care of the shop while she spent time with Jake.

Briar caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror hanging on the wall and smiled. She was wearing a new outfit that day - a royal blue sundress and matching sandals that she'd found at the local boutique. It was a simple yet elegant design, and she'd bought it with the hopes that Jake would like it.

"Shall we go, then?" she asked, turning away from the mirror to look at him.

Jake's eyes hadn't left her, and they were filled with affection. He'd seen her checking herself out in the mirror, and he loved that she was so happy. He hadn't really dressed up, wearing simple slacks with a long-sleeved shirt and his newer brown trench coat. He kept all sorts of magic trinkets in his pockets, but he also kept presents for Briar in them. "After you, M'lady."

All it took was one look at Briar's face to know that she was charmed. "Thank you, kind sir," she said flirtatiously, heading for the exit. She did a mental checklist of her home - she was pretty certain it was straightened up, and that there wasn't anything potentially embarrassing lying around.

Though he'd held the door open for her, he joined her once they left and wrapped an arm around her waist, walking beside her. It was a beautiful day, and he felt like the luckiest man in the world. Plus, Buzzflower had resisted the urge to whack at his hand with a large cup of steaming latte when he'd touched Briar, so he was feeling lucky.

Briar snuggled close against him, and smiled. "I feel like the luckiest girl in the world," she said, echoing his thoughts. "I'm so glad I've met you, Jake."

"Funny," he said, pressing a kiss to her hair. "I was about to say I felt like the luckiest man in the world. I could've waited forever for you, and still be this happy."

Briar looked up at Jake and smiled. "Well, then," she said, "I'm glad that I didn't keep you waiting for long."

"I'm sorry that I kept you waiting," Jake said honestly, and then with flourish, he suddenly swept her off of her feet and held her in his arms. "I should probably start acting more like a prince and making up for lost time."

Briar let out a gasp of surprise, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Jake!" she exclaimed, certain that her face had to be bright red. But she couldn't object to it - he always made her feel special. He carried her all the way back to her home, not setting her down once. When they reached the couch, he sat down, cuddling her in his lap.

Then an odd look crossed his face. "I don't feel so good."

Alarm immediately appeared on Briar's face, looking at him from his lap. "What's wrong?" she asked. "Are you ill? Do you have a headache?"

"Ugh..." Jake closed his eyes, pained. "My heart hurts, Briar. I think something's wrong or missing. I have an antidote in one of my pockets..."

"Which pocket?" Briar asked, immediately reaching for his jacket. "I'll find it for you." There were in infinite number of pockets in Jake's jacket, without guidance she'd never find the right one.

"The second one on the right, it should be in a small velvet box--if you could open it for me, I don't think I can make it..." Jake trailed off, peeking at her with one eye.

"Okay," Briar said, not hesitating in the slightest. She slipped her hand into the pocket and closed her hand around the box, pulling it out.

"I found it!" she said, opening it and beaming with accomplishment.

Nestled inside the velvet box was a single diamond on a silver band, small and delicate.

Jake opened both his eyes and smiled. "But will you cure me?" he asked with a grin. "For the rest of our lives?"

Briar stared at the ring, blinking. Her first thought honestly was that it didn't look like much of an antidote.

Then Jake spoke, and she gasped, her eyes widening. She looked up from the ring and the box and stared at him. "Really?" she whispered. "Truly?"

He couldn't help but grin sheepishly, hands going to her waist. "Really," he said, looking hopeful. "Truly."

"Oh, _Jake!_" Briar threw her arms around him suddenly, half-tackling him on the couch as tears pricked her eyes. "Yes! Yes! Of course it's yes!"

Laughing, Jake felt himself fall back on the couch, sideways. He wrapped his arms around her and held her, then pulled her back so he could kiss her.

Briar closed her eyes and sighed happily, melting into the kiss as she hugged him. She'd never felt happier than she was at that moment.

When he broke the kiss, he had somehow gotten the ring from her, and he moved it to her hand, sliding it into place. "Normally I'd say we should move in together, but I'll understand if you'd rather wait until I can afford a place on my own for you to move into," he said, not wanting to assume he could live with her.

Briar cuddled against him, admiring the ring on her finger. "Why would I make you buy your own place when there's one here that's perfectly ready?" she asked. She beamed at him. "Of course you can move in with me."

"You," Jake said, kissing her lips again. "Are absolutely perfect. And wearing far too much for the occasion," he teased, shifting so that she was straddling him instead of just cuddling him.

Briar's breath caught, and she felt herself becoming flustered as she looked down at him. "Jake," she breathed, her hands resting on his chest.

Jake's grin was very smug and playful. "Objections, princess?" he teased, leaning up and kissing her as he slid his hands along her hips, down to the hem of her dress.

"None at all," Briar whispered against his mouth, sliding her hands up to rest on his shoulders.

"Good. Either way, I told Veronica I wouldn't be back--either getting my own place, or staying with you," Jake murmured back, taking a moment to discard his coat, before sliding his hands up her thighs and under her firm bottom. Before she could answer, he stood swiftly and carried her to the bedroom, her legs around his waist.

***.*.*.*.***

Puck looked into his wallet. "Empty," he announced as he and Sabrina walked back to the house. They were walking side by side, and he was holding her hand. His other hand held the wallet.

"Good," Sabrina said, sounding satisfied. "I can't believe you bummed money off Uncle Jake and Briar Rose."

"I was broke," Puck said, sliding the wallet back into his pocket. "What else was I supposed to do? Your uncle was the only one I thought I'd get money from."

"He's been working a lot," Sabrina commented. "When he isn't fooling around with Briar, anyway."

They walked in silence after that, just holding hands and acting like a regular couple. For once, Sabrina was wondering if they would have some regular non-dangerous time to themselves that would last longer than just a month or two.

She stopped short at their home when she saw a nice silver car pull up, and Kerdy practically falling out the passenger side. He hadn't waited for it to stop, and Sabrina wondered if he'd planned to tuck and roll. Was he on fire or something? "Kerdy?"

Kerdy looked up, trying to untangle himself from the seatbelt he forgot he'd been wearing. Inside the car, Forse reached over and unhooked Kerdy's seatbelt so that he could have an easier time getting it off - he'd stopped the car. "Kerdy, you've got to be more careful," he said firmly.

Puck stared at Kerdy. "What the heck?" he asked. "Even I'm not crazy enough to fall out of a moving vehicle."

"Well I'm worried!" Kerdy snapped. "While you guys were out doing whatever the crap you were doing, the Scarlet Hand murdered my mom's garden and threw a brick through our window--_I wanted to check on Daphne."_Sabrina had almost misheard the 'murdered my mom' part, but then she was letting go of Puck and sprinting for the doors, declaring the small phrase that let the house know they were welcome. She ran in immediately, with a disheveled Kerdy on her heels.

Forse and Puck brought up the rear, neither of them anxious to get left behind, and Puck just as worried now as Kerdy and Sabrina. The Scarlet Hand had gone after Kerdy's house? What the heck? Puck's mind raced as he rushed after them; he wouldn't admit it out loud, but he needed to check and make sure everyone else was okay, too.

***.*.*.*.***

Inside the house, Daphne looked up at the sound of the door opening. She was helping her mother and Red decorate, and she had a spot of paint on her nose. Her eyes widened. "Is Sabrina home?" They were still fixing up the room.

"Probably," Veronica said from the doorway. They'd cleared the room out already, and were getting it ready for two little girls to live in it instead of two little boys—rather, one big boy who had been using the room until he'd proposed to his girlfriend. She wasn't in the room because the smell of paint kept making her sick, but Mr. Canis and Relda were.

Red paused in painting, looking up with a smile. "Will she be happy to have a room to herself?"

"Hopefully," Veronica said.

Sabrina and Kerdy nearly killed each other trying to get up the stairs, each wanting to be in front. The end result was Sabrina stepping on Kerdy, and Kerdy getting his elbow caught in her mouth for a moment.

Daphne poked her head out of the door and looked at Sabrina - and Kerdy? She'd expected Puck. "Kerdy?" she asked. "Sabrina?" What was Kerdy doing there? Bewildered, she stepped into the doorway to see them better.

"Um...what are you doing?" Daphne asked, blinking.

Kerdy looked up, and his entire posture relaxed. "Da-" Sabrina cut him off by shoving him backwards and away from her.

"UGH!" Sabrina groaned. "Chill out, Kerdy!"

She brushed herself off and walked closer. "Hey--Mom, Daphne, what are you doing in Jake's room?"

Daphne grinned, completely unaware of the paint on her face, and forgetting how urgent Kerdy and Sabrina had just seemed. "It's not Uncle Jake's room anymore," she said, beaming up at her sister.

"What're you talking about, marshmallow?" Puck asked, as he and Forse came up the stairs behind Kerdy and Sabrina.

"It's Daphne and Red's room now," Veronica said simply. "Jake is moving out."

"What?" Sabrina gaped openly at them, forgetting all about the Scarlet Hand.

"Grandma and Daphne and I are painting," Red whispered, coming up beside Daphne and looking at Sabrina hesitantly.

"Yes, and Red and Daphne have been doing a lot of it," Relda said with a smile to Red.

"We've got all of our things out of the other room and we're just decorating this one now," Daphne said to her sister.

"I get my own room?" Sabrina asked, mouth falling farther open.

"I thought it was time you should," Veronica said. "And since your Uncle Jake proposed to Briar Rose, naturally he's moving out."

"Holy..." Sabrina trailed off. Then, she dashed to her room--HER room. "YIPPEE!"

"Leave it to a girl to get distracted by something like that!" Kerdy called after her in annoyance. "What about the Scarlet Hand?"

Red went tense. Daphne stared at Kerdy, her eyes widening slightly.

"Well, when you've been wanting your own room..." Puck decided to follow after Sabrina and leave Kerdy to discuss the Scarlet Hand.

Everyone heard Sabrina's shout of 'BITE ME, KERDY' while she explored the now spacious room.

Mr. Canis appeared in the doorway, frowning as he looked at Kerdy. "What about the Scarlet Hand?" he asked.

Kerdy swallowed. "Uh... Sir," he said. "Well, a few moments ago--closer to twenty minutes with the drive... Someone threw a brick through our window. This was on it," he held up the paper, with the handprint. "And all of mom's roses got beheaded."

Red took a step back and knocked into Mr. Canis with a small yelp.

Mr. Canis reached out and steadied Red by the shoulders, looking at Kerdy grimly. "Did you see anyone?" he asked.

Daphne covered her mouth with her hand, staring at Kerdy.

"No, sir," Forse said, moving to stand next to his brother. "We never noticed anything until after the brick was thrown."

"We're not sure why they went after us," Kerdy lied for Daphne's benefit. "Maybe because something bad is coming up. Either way, I..."

He blushed, shoving his hair off of his face and glancing away. To Daphne, he began to glow again. Not blindingly so, but with a slight outline of pure white. His words and intentions were completely honest when he spoke again. "I was really worried about Daphne."

Relda looked at Kerdy and smiled gently.

Daphne blushed a little, looking at Kerdy and taking in the soft glow that framed him. "You were worried about me?" she asked, lowering her hands.

"The Scarlet Hand is dangerous," Kerdy said quietly. "And they're fixated on your family. I came as fast as I could to make sure you were okay."

Red watched the two of them, then immediately blushed. Daphne hurried forward suddenly and hugged Kerdy. "Thanks, Kerdy," she said.

"There hasn't been any sign of the Scarlet Hand here today," Relda said softly, though she looked over at Veronica in concern.

Kerdy blushed, putting a hand on Daphne's head and looking at the adults.

"I'll call Henry and see if he knows anything," Veronica said, looking troubled. "Bluebeard mentioned something to me during the trial, I'm positive he's with them."

Sabrina had come out of her room just in time to hear that, and she froze.

"What do you mean, Bluebeard mentioned something to you at the trial?" Puck demanded, shifting slightly in front of Sabrina as if the protect her even from the mention of Bluebeard's name.

Daphne gave an immediate shudder - Bluebeard had thoroughly creeped her out, too. Kerdy looked to Veronica in alarm too, suddenly hugging Daphne completely.

"He said something like 'she'll probably take out at least two of our members before the end'," Veronica shook her head. "I don't know what it meant. But I guess it has to do with their organization."

Sabrina felt herself go pale. The auras became fully visible to Daphne. The warm, loving aura of her mother and unborn sibling--the unsure aura of Red, and the tranquility in Mr. Canis...

Sabrina's aura was erratic and trembling, tinged with a black color. But unlike the dark feeling that accompanied lies, this one was positively made of fear.

Daphne stared at Sabrina, her eyes widened slightly. "S-Sabrina?" she stammered, taken aback by the glow that was surrounding her sister. She didn't like it. She didn't like it at all, because she didn't like the sense of fear that was coming from it.

Puck narrowed his eyes, and he reached out to grasp Sabrina's arm. "Take out at least two of their members?" he demanded. He turned to Sabrina, and could tell instantly that something was wrong from the paleness of her face.

"I don't know who he..." Veronica trailed off and looked to her daughters. "What aren't you telling me?"

"..." Sabrina gazed up at her mother, feeling her throat close up a little. Her voice came out small. "We met Bluebeard right before I got sick. He made me tell him my name, and he stared at me until we left the library."

Now Veronica was pale, looking a little faint.

Relda went to her daughter-in-law and touched her arm. "Perhaps you should sit down," she said softly.

Puck pulled Sabrina into his arms, hugging her. "We put as much distance between us as we could," he said to Veronica. But the thought that Bluebeard might have been talking about Sabrina made him furious.

"Sabrina, you are not to go anywhere alone--you too Daphne. Do you understand?" Veronica demanded.

"Y-yeah," Sabrina said.

"I won't let her out of my sight, ma'am," Kerdy said respectfully.

"That goes for you too, Red," Veronica said sternly, looking to the quiet young girl.

Red looked at Veronica like she didn't understand, frowning. But Mr. Canis understood the seriousness of what Veronica was saying. "Bluebeard is not the type of person that a young girl should be alone around," he said gravely, looking down at Red. And he wasn't about to let Red become one of his victims.

Daphne bit her lip. "What do you think Bluebeard meant when he said what he said to you, Mom?" she whispered. She couldn't take her eyes off of Sabrina - she didn't like seeing such fear around her sister.

"I think he was sending me an indirect warning. He's cocky," Veronica whispered. "And I'm positive he was talking about Sabrina.

Before anyone could answer or object, Sabrina's eyes fluttered shut, and she abruptly fell towards the ground, losing consciousness.

"Sabrina!" Puck's arms shot out and caught her just before she would have hit the ground, alarm coursing through him. He ended up kneeling down with her in his arms, supporting her weight and keeping her from getting hurt.

Daphne's eyes widened. "Is she okay?" she asked.

"She's unconscious," Puck said worriedly, looking down at her.

Kerdy reluctantly released Daphne, looking to Sabrina in worry. "She's really afraid of Bluebeard. Puck, just how much did you tell her about Gilles de Rais?"

The name made Veronica tense even more. Daphne took a step towards Sabrina and Puck, then paused and looked at Kerdy in confusion. There was more than what they'd said at the library?

Puck shook his head. "Nothing much else other than what you were there for," he said. "I told her that Charming couldn't send him to jail because there was no proof, but that's it."

"Gilles de Rais--is he?" Veronica looked at them. "Is he really?"

Kerdy clenched his jaw. "Yes ma'am. Bluebeard's last human name was Gilles de Rais."

Relda frowned. "Gilles de Rais..." It sounded familiar to her, but she couldn't place from where.

Puck looked up, and over at Veronica. "You know the name?" he asked.

Daphne looked at her mother. "Mom...?" she asked questioningly.

"I know the name," Veronica whispered. "I did an essay on him in college. He was a child serial killer and r-" she caught herself, looking to Daphne. "He was a very bad man, Daphne."

"We told Sabrina and Daphne," Kerdy said quietly. "My mom and dad knew about him. We kept it vague," he added the last part, worried about Daphne.

Daphne looked at each of them, back and forth - and she _knew_ they were keeping something about Bluebeard from her. Her shoulders slumped a little - sometimes being the youngest was rough. "And he's after Sabrina?" she asked softly.

"Not if I can help it," Puck said, scowling as he looked at his girlfriend's sleeping face.

"Bluebeard is evil," Red whispered suddenly. "He was there. He was there, but there were two of him..."

She suddenly reached up and grabbed her head, wincing in pain. "Oh... I'm sorry..."

Veronica winced again, putting a hand over her stomach. "It's not your fault, sweetheart. But what do you mean, two of him?"

Red shook her head almost violently, not answering.

"It's all right, Red," Mr. Canis said quietly, his hands on her shoulders. "Don't try to force the memories."

"Mr. Canis is right, _liebling_," Relda said to Red softly. And then she turned to Veronica. "And you ought to be sitting down and resting, Veronica." She hadn't missed the wince, and she was concerned for her daughter-in-law.

Veronica nodded absently, looking pale. "I don't feel very well," she murmured. "Someone call Henry, I..." She bit her lip, leaning against the wall.

"Mom?" Daphne asked, her eyes widening.

Kerdy immediately ran to Veronica and helped support her, showing impressive strength and dexterity for his age. "I'll get her to bed, Ma'am," he said to Relda. "She shouldn't be straining herself."

Forse went to Veronica's other side. "Let me help," he said, looking concerned. If he and Kerdy both helped Veronica, they could get her to her bed that much quicker.

"Thank you," Relda said, looking anxious. "Try to relax, Veronica, I'll call Henry."

Veronica nodded, cracking a smile. "Try not to let slip that two very handsome young blondes carried me to bed," she teased.

Kerdy's cheeks went bright red, and he stammered apologies for having to touch her to help her.

Forse took it in stride, though. "We'll be nothing but gentlemen, ma'am," he promised. "Which way to your room?"

"This way," Daphne said, hurrying to show them where Veronica's room was, as Puck picked Sabrina up carefully to take her to her own bed and Relda hurried to make the phone call.

Mr. Canis looked down at Red. "Do you need to sit?"

Red looked up, tears in her eyes. "No," she whispered. "I'll be okay."

The sight of the tears in Red's eyes pained the older man. "Are you certain?" She had seemed in pain - he was worried she was pushing herself.

She reached up slowly to wipe her eyes. "I'm certain," she echoed. "I just... I wish I could remember more."

"You will in time," Mr. Canis said. "And though you might want to try and push yourself to remember more, quickly, you don't want to risk your health in the process."

"Thank you," Red murmured. "I think... I think I will try to paint more, for Daphne."

"I'll help you," Mr. Canis said with a nod. If he was needed, Relda would let him know - until then, he would be there for Red.

Red's eyes were bright again, and she looked up with a big smile. "Thank you," she repeated, reaching up to clasp his hand with hers for a moment. She headed into the room, picking her paintbrush back up.

***.*.*.*.***

"Here you go," Forse said, helping Veronica into her bed. "Can we get you anything?" He looked at Veronica in concern. She looked pale, and not at all well - and given the fact that he knew she was pregnant, that was not a good thing.

Daphne stood near the door, hands clasped anxiously in front of her.

"No, thank you, boys," Veronica said, lying down with their help. "I just feel a little overwhelmed and tired."

Kerdy propped her pillows. "You're four months along, right?"

"Yep," Veronica said. "But it feels like more."

"Have you felt like this before?" Forse asked, drawing the covers up over her. "Or is this the first time?"

"Sabrina was a feisty one," Veronica joked. "But I'm fine..."

Her expression faltered. She looked to Daphne in worry.

Daphne looked Veronica, and then walked over to the side of the bed. "Are you _really_ fine, Mom?" she asked anxiously. "Please tell me the truth." She didn't want the truth to be hidden from her... not about something this important.

"I promise," Veronica reached for Daphne and stroked her cheek. "I just feel a little sick. I'm worried about your sister."

Kerdy reached out and put a hand on Daphne's shoulder.

Daphne touched Veronica's hand. "So am I," she said, comforted both by her mother's words and Kerdy's hand on her shoulder. "But Puck won't let anything happen to her."

"I know," Veronica smiled again. "But it's a mother's job to worry about her babies."

"My mom says the same thing," Kerdy confirmed. "We'll always be babies to our moms."

"Yeah, but Kerdy, you _are_ the baby," Forse teased with a grin. Then he chuckled. "Although Mom still looks at me like I'm still four years old sometimes."

Daphne smiled, and couldn't help but giggle a little at that.

Kerdy scowled. "Mnotthebaby," he muttered under his breath.

"Well, it's true," Veronica confirmed. "You'll always be your mother's babies. Now, go on and let me sleep."

Kerdy nodded to her, looking to Daphne.

"Okay," Daphne said. She leaned over and kissed Veronica's forehead, then went back to stand next to Kerdy. "Come on, Kerdy - we'll send Dad up when he gets home, Mom."

Forse couldn't help but grin at how Daphne seemed to naturally gravitate towards Kerdy.

"Want me to carry you?" Kerdy asked, blushing when he realized Forse was going to see him interacting with Daphne.

Daphne immediately nodded, seeing nothing wrong with the idea of Kerdy carrying her. There were some benefits to being small again. Kerdy smiled, scooping Daphne up princess-style. He carried her from the room. "So, want me to help you paint your new room? Forse can help get the tall spots."

Daphne's eyes lit up, and she nodded. "Would you?" she asked. "Red and I really want to get it done. We decided to paint it green, do you think that's okay? We didn't want red."

Forse followed behind them and closed the door behind him, grinning.

"I love the color green," Kerdy said, grinning at her. "It suits you."

Daphne beamed. "Really?" she asked happily. "I wasn't sure, but I really liked the color and Red seemed okay with it, too."

"Really," Kerdy agreed, carrying her back into the room. Red was trying to finish one of the walls, having trouble reaching the last spot.

Forse took one look at the younger girl trying to reach the final spot, and walked over to her. "Want me to get that?" he offered Red. Mr. Canis was working on a different wall, and he turned to look when he heard Forse.

Red looked up and blushed. "Okay," she murmured, handing him the paintbrush. "I'm not very tall."

"You were doing pretty good despite that," Forse said with a grin. He reached up and easily applied the paint to the last spot.

Daphne looked around the room. "Wow, it really looks good so far," she said, pleased.

"Papa and I were going to finish it for you, but-" Red broke off immediately when she realized what she'd said.

Kerdy set Daphne down with a smile, looking over at Red. The little girl was pretty adorable--not nearly as adorable as Daphne, though, in his mind. Looking back to Red, Daphne grinned, and Mr. Canis looked at Red with a fondness in his eyes. "We don't mind taking care of the rest of it if you'd rather us do it," he said to Daphne. He didn't correct Red's word usage - it didn't bother him.

"What do you think, Princess?" Kerdy asked Daphne, looking to her for the answer.

"I think we'll get it done faster if we all do it," Daphne said. "And besides, it's _our_ room, Red. So we should work on it together."

Red smiled hesitantly at Daphne, impulsively moving closer and hugging the other girl.

Daphne hugged Red back, smiling. "When we're done painting we should figure out how we're going to decorate the rest of the room," she said to her.

"Okay," Red turned and happily went back to painting.

***.*.*.*.***

When Sabrina awoke, she seemed back to her normal self, refusing to acknowledge any nightmares or fears. She simply smiled at people and told them she was fine, and the fainting had been the cause of her fever passing.

It turned out Veronica was under more stress than anyone had originally thought. She ended up with strict doctor's orders to get plenty of rest and stay in less stressful situations. With Henry dedicating most of his time to Veronica, and Jake attached to Briar at the hip, Forse and Kerdy spent a lot of time at the Grimm house to help with chores and taking care of the younger girls. It wasn't that hard--Daphne was dedicated to becoming more mature, and Red spent the majority of her time playing with Daphne or meditating with Mr. Canis.

Aside from the brick and rose incident, the Scarlet Hand seemed to go silent again. William had been warned about Bluebeard and his threat, and so when Bluebeard went back to his castle, police (and some of Puck's paid security team) kept an eye out to see if he left again.

With the threats seemingly low, Sabrina and Daphne went into field training in the hall of wonders. Puck helped them out, often catching Sabrina and ending training with Daphne finding them making out in a field or a tree.

Since many of the items they had to use were magic, Sabrina seemed stressed. They let Daphne handle most of them, but there were a few weaker ones that Sabrina tested out. One that she seemed able to use was a transportation orb. They only had one--a milky blue-white marble that exploded like a paintball when thrown, but re-formed. The idea was, the person using it would throw it at their feet and shout a known destination from their mind. It had to be somewhere they'd already been, and it could only take one other person.

The person who threw it -had- to be one of the people to come along, or it would most likely break. Since there was only one, and it was temperamental, no one wanted to experiment with it.

Sabrina often confided in Mirror that the magic was getting to her, and she was having nightmares that involved Bluebeard and Red. He was sympathetic, always offering a comforting hand on her shoulder or an ear to listen when she needed it.

Before long, Jake had married Briar (much to William's grumbling protests, Buzzflower's half-hearted murder attempts, and Daphne's spastic cheering) and four months had passed. Sabrina had even calmed down a little around Red (after all, with the girl being so soft-spoken and often calling Mr. Canis 'papa' by mistake, it was hard to see her as anything but sweet) and the nightmares became few and far between. At least, for a short time.

The threat of the Scarlet Hand and Bluebeard seemed to be in the past--everyone was anticipating the birth of the first Grimm son to Veronica and Henry.

***.*.*.*.***

"I can't believe our little brother is going to be a Christmas baby," Sabrina joked, setting the table for Thanksgiving. "He's gonna get double the gifts."

"Or people will think that combining Christmas and his birthday is appropriate," Kerdy joked, setting down some glasses. They had pulled out a very large table in the Grimm house for the families--Kerdy's family, Sabrina's family, Jake and Briar, a reluctant William, and a happy Snow had all gathered.

William had tried to get them to have the dinner in his mansion, but Veronica hadn't been up to making the trip. So he'd carried his seven-month-pregnant wife instead, griping the entire time about the inconvenience of being near the Grimms.

At the other side of the table, Daphne and Red were putting down plates.

Daphne looked up at Kerdy's words in horror. "That's terrible!" she gasped. "People wouldn't really make him combine Christmas and his birthday, would they? That's not fair, not when we get to have birthdays during other parts of the year!"

Puck laughed. "Oh, man, marshmallow, if you could see the look on your face," he said. "You look like someone told you Christmas was being _cancelled!_"

"It's not funny, Puck!" Daphne said, distraught. "Our baby brother needs to be able to have Christmas and a birthday both or it's not fair!"

"Did you know Kerdy's birthday is near Halloween, so people always give him pumpkin-themed gifts?" Garret asked, bringing one of the first dishes into the room. A large casserole that Gerda had made.

"You mean you, Rae, and Forse," Kerdy said dryly.

"S'cause you never had any friends to get you presents before, little brother," Garret said cheerfully. "And now you do!"

"How come you never told us your birthday?" Sabrina asked curiously, looking at Kerdy. "Is it because you don't celebrate-"

"Halloween!" Kerdy blurted out. "Exactly. I don't uh... celebrate Halloween."

He scowled at her, knowing full well she'd been about to make a reference to the fact that he wasn't aging.

"Uh oh," Puck muttered under his breath, because he could see what was coming next.

Daphne's eyes went wide and she looked at Kerdy. "You don't celebrate Halloween?" she asked. "Ever? You don't dress up or anything like that? What about candy?"

Yes, as much as Daphne had been trying to get people to treat her like she were older lately....when it came to holidays, she was still very enthusiastic. Behind Garret, Rae snickered. Kerdy was ten times more fun to tease with Daphne around.

Kerdy panicked. "I do now!" he said quickly. "Uh... I was traumatized when I was little, I um... I dressed up as a marshmallow," he picked the name because of Puck, "and my brothers tried to make me into a smore. I stopped dressing up, but I'll dress up and go trick-or-treating with you from now on, Princess!"

Sabrina snickered into her hand. "You could dress up as Peter Pan, the boy who never ages," she offered.

"No I think you're the one who wants that," Kerdy said innocently. "Your mom showed me the picture of you dressed up as Wendy when Daphne was Tinker bell and you were both little kids."

Sabrina turned bright red.

"Ohmigosh I forgot about that!" Daphne gasped, her eyes widening.

And Puck, who had been pulling chairs to the table to accommodate everyone, tripped and ended up sprawled over one of them in a less-than-graceful position.

"Did you have to mention that name?" he complained. He didn't want anything possibly triggering Sabrina's memory of when she'd been delirious and sick.

"She said it, not me," Kerdy whistled innocently.

"Ass," Sabrina muttered under her breath.

"Tease," Kerdy whispered back.

Sabrina's eyes went wide, but the younger kids hadn't heard a thing.

Puck was instantly on his feet and standing next to Sabrina and Kerdy. "What was that?" he asked curiously, looking back and forth between them.

"Nothing," the both said, hurrying to set down plates.

"We could always show you how to play our favorite game," Garret said to Sabrina.

She looked up, noting that Kerdy had frozen.

"I think I'd like that," Sabrina grinned wickedly.

Kerdy dropped the last glass on the table and made a run for it.

"Awwww," Rae complained. "He's running away, Garret!"

Forse chuckled, sticking his head into the room. "He can't possibly get too far," he said with a grin.

Daphne blinked. "Where's Kerdy going?" she asked oblivious. She looked at Red to see if the other girl knew.

Garret lunged. He grabbed Kerdy before the boy completely got out of the room. "Forse, Rae, which one of you first?"

"Oh, come on!" Kerdy complained, flailing. "Put me down!"

Red stared at them, eyes very round.

"Pass him to me, Garret!" Forse said, grinning as he moved into position, his eyes shining with mischief. Rae couldn't stop laughing - Kerdy was _way_ too cute when he started to flail like that.

Now Daphne was staring, her mouth opened in a small 'o'. Whereas Puck just broke into a grin. "Hey, can I play?" Puck asked wickedly.

"HEY!" Kerdy complained, yelping when Garret did indeed, toss him to Forse. "You can't play, Puck! You can't catch me, we'll die!"

At that, Puck scowled. "Whaddya mean, we'll die? I happen to be way stronger than you give me credit for!"

Forse chuckled, catching Kerdy and tossing him off to Rae. "Kerdy's afraid of going splat," he said.

"We only dropped him once," Garret said. "Hey, toss him to dad, I'm kidnapping his Princess," he said, jogging over to Daphne and scooping her up.

Over the months, Daphne had seemed to immediately feel at ease with people, giving no reason other than liking their 'color'. All of Kerdy's family had the same pure white aura. Daphne had written down in her journal that she thought it meant honesty or purity; she'd started color-coding feelings to explain why the auras changed color. Still, no one knew why she had suddenly started to see auras. They didn't question it much anymore.

"Dad!" Rae called, as Kai obediently entered the room to catch Kerdy.

Daphne let out an immediate yelp when Garret picked her up, and then laughed. "Why are you kidnapping me?" she asked innocently. She trusted Kerdy's family unconditionally, and she was never afraid of them.

Kerdy flailed again in mid-air, yelping when Kai caught him.

"Cause," Garret teased. "Kerdy can't keep the princess if he doesn't rescue her," he said knowingly.

Sabrina rolled her eyes, but she smiled slightly at Puck. At least Daphne was enjoying herself.

Daphne blinked, and then blushed. "But how's he supposed to rescue me if he's being tossed?" she asked innocently.

Puck gave up on trying enter the game of Toss-the-Kerdy, and went back over to Sabrina. "She still hasn't figured it out, has she?" he whispered to her.

"Hasn't a clue," Sabrina murmured back, shaking her head and watching Kerdy. When the boy finally escaped, he rushed to Garret and took Daphne from his grip, holding her protectively.

"My princess!" he said, scowling at Garret.

Garret laughed and tousled his hair. "Okay."

Daphne looked up at Kerdy shyly. "Hi Kerdy," she said. "Are you done being tossed now?" She smiled to let him know that she was okay - she hadn't been afraid of being dropped or anything.

Kerdy blushed badly. "Y-yeah. I'm done being tossed. You done being carried off?"

Daphne blushed a little. "I don't know, you're still carrying me," she replied shyly.

Rae covered his mouth to hide his smile, looking at Garret with amusement.

"..." Kerdy quickly and gently set Daphne back down on her feet, smoothing his hand over her hair to make sure she was really unharmed. "I-I'll go see if our moms need help in the kitchen," he said, turning and hurrying off.

"Wow," Sabrina shook her head.

Daphne watched Kerdy go with a smile. He was so helpful - he really was one of the nicest people she'd ever met. If only she weren't so...so young! Her smile dimmed a bit at the thought. Kerdy was definitely older than she was... he'd only ever look at her like a little sister at most, she was sure of it.

"You okay, Princess?" Garret asked, putting his hand on Daphne's head. "You look sad."

Daphne hesitated, then looked up and smiled at Garret. She shook her head. "I'm okay," she said, hoping that none of her earlier thoughts showed on her face.

"Now now, princess," Garret said. "You can talk to me."

Daphne hesitated - Kai had gone back to see if Gerda needed him for anything, but Forse and Rae were both looking at her.

"Well," Daphne said finally, "it's just that... sometimes I wish Kerdy weren't so much older than me!" The words came out in a rush, and she almost tripped over them.

Sabrina laughed before she could stop herself, then covered her mouth.

"Oh, Daphne!" Red rushed over and touched Daphne's arm.

Garret pat Daphne on the head gently. "Is that what this is all about?" he asked.

Daphne felt her cheeks reddening and she looked down, and nodded. "Uh huh," she said softly.

"That's too cute," Forse said with an affectionate smile.

"Don't worry about it," Garret promised. "I swear, age is never going to be a problem with you guys. Okay, Princess?"

Daphne looked at him closely - but the white glow around him never faded. There was nothing dishonest about Garret's words.

"Okay," she said softly, with another, much more relieved smile. "Thank you, Garret."

"Call me 'Big Brother'," Garret teased, scooping her up and cuddling her. "You're like a cute little sister."

Daphne grinned at that. "Okay," she said, pleased that Garret - that all of Kerdy's family, really - seemed to like her so much. They were so nice, and honest, and open too.

"Heyyyy." Rae moved to stand next to Garret. "You're hogging her."

"We can't toss the Princess," Garret said. "We need a new game. 'Cuddle-the-Princess'?" He suggested. Sabrina headed into the kitchen to grab more plates to set out, ignoring the three mothers (or in Snow's case, soon-to-be) near the stove. Veronica and Gerda had cooked, because Jake had hogged Briar and Snow had been resting. Still, the feast looked amazing.

"Sounds good," Forse said, chuckling at Garret's announcement.

In the kitchen, Snow looked up when Sabrina came in. She had been admiring the food that Gerda and Veronica had cooked up. "Oh, Sabrina," she said with a smile. "How is everything going out there? Is anyone asking for food yet?"

"Nah," Sabrina said. "Mostly people are tossing Kerdy and hugging Daphne."

"Sounds like fun," Gerda said warmly.

"Yep. Loads," Sabrina mumbled, a troubled look on her face as she picked up the next batch of plates. Kerdy had already passed her and headed back out with glasses.

Snow couldn't help but feel a touch of concern when she saw the expression that Sabrina was wearing.

"Is everything all right?" she asked gently, touching her stomach. At seven months she was definitely showing her pregnancy - it was for that reason that William barely let her out of his sight.

"Everything's fine," Sabrina said. "How're you and the baby?"

Veronica grinned. "I think we're both fine, other than the fact that Jake is giving us sound effects when we walk. What is it? Oh yeah. 'Waddle waddle waddle'. I may kill him."

Sabrina cracked a smile.

Snow laughed, looking amused. "He won't be making jokes like that if Briar ever gets pregnant," she said. "I imagine he'll be just like Henry and Billy - utterly attentive."

"Kai was such a gentleman when I was with child," Gerda beamed, looking utterly lost in memories.

"Kai's always a perfect gentleman, and completely devoted to you," Veronica pointed out.

Gerda put her hands on her cheeks and blushed, smiling and closing her eyes.

Sabrina laughed, shaking her head. "They're so mushy."

Snow smiled, and then looked at Veronica. "When Sabrina and Daphne were born, what was Henry like?" she asked. This had been a thought on her mind for awhile - what would William be like, once their baby was there?

"Panicked," Veronica said, putting her hands over her very swollen belly with affection. "He thought he was going to drop Sabrina so many times, he used to hold her with a catcher's mitt on one hand."

"...Are you serious?" Sabrina asked.

"Very."

"Oh, my," Snow said, her eyes widening. "He didn't ever drop her, though, did he?" The mental image of Henry holding a small baby with a catcher's mitt...it was priceless.

"No, he was an absolute sweetheart with her," Veronica said warmly. "Even if he had the worst day, he always made time for our daughters. They changed him in a wonderful way."

Blushing, Sabrina murmured an excuse and left while Gerda gave her own story of how Kai had been a tender and loving father, always playing with his babies.

Snow couldn't help but let out a soft sigh as she listened to Gerda and Veronica's stories. She looked down at her stomach. "I can't wait to see what sort of father William will be," she said. "It almost doesn't seem real, that our baby will be here so soon."

A pair of strong arms wrapped around her, one hand sliding over her stomach while a pair of lips pressed a sweet kiss to her temple. "I'll be the best father," William promised. "And the best husband."

Gerda sighed warmly, and hearts practically floated over her head. Seeing them reminded her of when Kai had last held her. Twenty minutes prior.

Snow blushed, leaning back against William as she felt his hand rest against her stomach. "How much of that did you hear?" she asked with a smile, her heart skipping a beat. She still felt like a newlywed when he held her like that.

"Enough to promise you that I won't need a catcher's mitt to hold our child," William said.

"Watch it, he's still my husband and you can't hit me back," Veronica warned, picking up a huge whisk.

"And you'll change your mind the moment you see your children for the first time," Henry said, coming into the room and grinning. "Do you realize how small a baby is? It's completely reasonable to assume that you'd need a catcher's mitt to keep a hold of one."

He walked over the Veronica and kissed her softly. "I thought I'd come see how you were doing."

Veronica nuzzled Henry and smiled, putting the whisk back down. "Thank you, sweetie. We're about ready to start dinner. Is Sabrina okay?"

"I saw her setting the table, the last I checked," Henry replied. He looked concerned. "Has she seemed to you like something's wrong?"

"Distracted," Veronica answered. "That's all."

William was kissing Snow's neck, but he paused and glanced at them. "Bluebeard hasn't left his castle," he said quietly. "Nor has he attempted to contact your daughter."

Henry's expression tightened, and he slid his arm around Veronica's waist. "Has there been any indication that he knows he's being watched?" he asked seriously. Since being filled in on Bluebeard's threat to Sabrina and the identity of Gilles de Rais, he had been a very overprotective father.

"No. And no activity from the Scarlet Hand, either. There were a few acts of vandalism a few months back--and your idiot brother nearly caused a riot," William didn't notice when the words made Veronica flinch.

Snow laid her hand over William's, and bit her lip. There been concern when Jake and Briar had announced their engagement - and for good reason.

"Jake deserves to be happy," Henry said. But from the look on his face, it was clear he understood the concerns.

"So does Briar," William said, looking at Henry. "And they're both in danger now."

"I'm surprised that the Scarlet Hand hasn't made more of a fuss concerning their relationship than it already has," Kai said, coming to join them - after all, Henry and William had come to their wives.

Veronica looked over. "Maybe they're just waiting until we relax?"

"We haven't heard the last of them. I just wish I knew what they were waiting for," William said, growling a little and pulling Snow closer.

"We all do," Henry said. He kissed the top of Veronica's head. He didn't voice his concern out loud - but he was worried that the Scarlet Hand might be waiting for something specific...such as the babies to be born.

"Well, for now, let's just enjoy our Thanksgiving dinner together," Veronica said, looking at Henry and smiling. "Now will you boys go ahead and bring the food out? The kids should be done setting the table by now."

"Of course," Jake swept into the room with flourish, his arm around Briar. They were always cuddling and acting so sickeningly sweet, that if Kai and Gerda, Jake and Briar were in the same place for too long, people got overwhelmed.

He dropped a kiss on Briar's head, then released her to grab a big pot of mashed potatoes to carry out. Within mere moments, everyone was seated at the large table, and all of the food had been placed in the center. They'd had to divide the table so that no one sat next to someone they couldn't stand being around. On one half, Veronica sat in the center, Henry to her left and Snow to her right. In order after Snow, sat William, Kai, Gerda, Forse, Garret, Rae, Kerdy, Daphne, Red, Mr. Canis, Relda, Jake, Briar, Puck, and then Sabrina next to her father. Daphne was in the middle on her half, facing her mother-and under the table, Elvis stayed faithfully near her and Red.

Briar led the prayer, and then everyone started passing food around and chattering with each other. The only one who didn't seem to be having a good time or joking around was Sabrina. She smiled at some of the things that were said, and shook her head when Puck tried to dump an entire dish of casserole onto his plate, but she seemed distracted.

Puck eyed the casserole longingly - he seemed to be of the opinion that the food needed to come to him first, and then everyone else could have it. Several people at the table - including Relda and Snow - were making it very clear that this was not acceptable and somehow the food ended up going to everyone else first before getting to him.

The turkey was making its rounds and bypassing Puck again, and he scowled. He looked at Sabrina. "This is not fair," he protested to his girlfriend. "Why does everyone else get food before me?"

"Because if you got the food first there wouldn't be enough left for the rest of us," Relda said calmly as she dished another serving out onto her plate.

Puck pouted. And then he eyed Sabrina again. She hadn't seemed quite… attentive for awhile.

Sabrina managed a smile at Puck, shaking her head and reaching for the bowl of corn that Henry had just handed for her. She remained that way throughout the entire dinner, laughing when everyone else did, but she didn't seem to have much to add to the conversation. After the food seemed to diminish and the conversations tapered off, Sabrina quietly excused herself and headed up to her room. It was decorated to fit Sabrina's tastes, with the bed near the window and a few swords stacked up by her dresser.

Puck had been teaching her to fight, in addition to their other training. One of her swords was made of iron-they kept it locked away so that Puck didn't have to go near it unless they were sparring. Iron was a poison to Puck's kind, but it was effective against his wooden sword, and it wasn't like she ever got a hit in that could endanger his life.

Sighing, she walked towards the bed, only to pause in front of the mirror. She quickly looked away and shuddered, hugging herself.

"Hey." Puck stood in the doorway of the room, looking at her. When she'd excused herself, he hadn't taken long to follow. He simply couldn't shake the fact that something wasn't right with her.

He walked further into the room, going over to her. "What's wrong?" he asked, seeing the way that her arms were wrapped around herself.

"Nothing's wrong, I just ate enough food to feed a small family," Sabrina joked, turning to him. "What about you? Aren't you still hungry?"

Her smile didn't reach her eyes-something was troubling her.

"Nah, food's not on my mind right now." He placed his hands on her arms, his eyes meeting hers. He looked troubled - he could see that her smile wasn't touching her eyes, and he hated that sight. Sabrina needed to be happy. He wanted to make her stay happy. "Something's bothering you."

"Nothing's bothering me," she lied, turning away from him. She couldn't bring herself to pull back completely-not out of his grip, anyway. She liked having him touching her.

Puck wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest. It didn't seem likely that she would answer him if he asked the question, so instead he tightened his arms around her and held her close. He kissed her temple.

Sabrina was silent for a moment, closing her eyes. She reached up with one hand and clutched his shirt, breathing in the scent of pine. It was pretty cold, even in the house, so both of them were wearing long-sleeved shirts. Even Daphne had been in a velvet dress to keep her warm. "Puck," Sabrina mumbled after a moment. "Do I ever say things and not seem to notice I'm saying them?"

"No," Puck replied. He tightened his arms around her. "Everything you've said has been one hundred percent you. And considering how you react to my responses, I'd say you're completely aware that you're saying them."

"Good," Sabrina sighed, sinking into his embrace. "I didn't want to tell anyone about it. Mom already looks at me like I'm going to jump out a window or have a breakdown. She doesn't need to know I'm going crazy already."

"What do you mean, that you're crazy already?" Puck asked. His green eyes were focused entirely on his girlfriend, his hand lightly stroking her back.

Sabrina took a deep breath, glancing to the door. She pulled back from him completely and headed over, shutting and locking her door, even though she was supposed to keep it open when Puck was in the room.

She hesitated for a moment, then headed to her bed and sat down on the fluffy blankets, clasping her hands in her lap. "Do you remember back when Mr. Canis was on trial, and I mentioned a nightmare I had?"

Puck nodded. "Yeah, I remember," he said. He sat down on the bed as well. He definitely remembered that she'd had a nightmare. "You said that it had to do with Red."

Sabrina pushed one of her hands through her hair. "Mostly it had to do with me," she admitted softly. "I keep having the same dream. It went away for a while, but the past couple of nights, it's been…" She paused, then shook her head and began to explain. "I open my eyes and the floor is made of stone, like some medieval place. And then I see Red, and she's just staring at me, like she's sorry. Sometimes she has her hood, sometimes she doesn't. Then I run, and a voice keeps saying it wants another taste. Just one more. It'll be the last. The voice scares me, and it sounds horrible… Raspy."

She put her hand back in her lap. "Everything hurts so much, it's like I'm on fire, but I'm not burning, Puck… And then I find a mirror. I'm wearing this short white dress or something, and it's covered in blood. The voice is in my ear again, saying it wants another taste, but… But my lips are the ones moving. I'm the one saying it."

She closed her eyes tightly. "Then I wake up." Her voice was shaking.

Puck shifted, reaching for her and pulling her back into his arms. "It's just a dream, Sabrina," he said. "That's all… a bad dream that freaks you out, but it's just a dream." He tightened his arms around her, feeling her shaking and wanting to stop it. He kissed her hair tenderly.

"If it's just a dream, why do I keep having it? Over and over?" Sabrina shuddered. "Puck… One last thing about the dream… When I'm saying I want more-another taste, or whatever… I'm holding a wand in my hand. It's the magic. It has to be. But I don't want to use magic, so why do I keep dreaming about it?"

Puck closed his eyes, and then pulled Sabrina into his lap. Just right into his lap, without hesitation, and his wings were around her a moment later. "I don't know," he said. "Sabrina, I'm right here. I'm not going to let anything get at you, especially not the magic."

Sabrina closed her eyes as tightly as possible, cuddling into his arms. She didn't mind being in his lap, though usually it was a happier event. "Puck, it just worries me," she said, opening her eyes after a minute and looking up at him. "I don't like it. And the nightmares are happening more often now, too. I guess it's just getting to me."

She sighed, then burrowed in his arms and pressed her face to his neck.

"Sabrina," Puck murmured. He kissed the top of her head, then cupped her cheek and lifted her head so that he could kiss her mouth. He tried to convey his feelings for her, and the fact that he wanted to protect her more than anything. She was the reason he was growing up and becoming more mature.

"Mmph," Sabrina mumbled against his lips, relaxing even more while he kissed her. She never got tired of moments like that-moments where Puck completely swept her off of her feet and made her feel safe.

Puck kissed her until breathing was necessary, until he had to pull back. Even when the kiss broke he didn't let go of her. "I love you, Sabrina," he said, his cheeks flushing a touch at the words. "I won't let anything happen to you, I promise."

Sabrina shivered, then gazed up at him with tears glistening in her eyes. "Puck…" she trailed off, before leaning up to kiss him again. She wasn't worried about anyone coming into the room and finding them that way-after all, she'd locked the door, even though it was against the rules.

When she broke the kiss, her cheeks were flushed. "Hey, Puck," she murmured. "I don't think I've seen you shirtless in a while. We've both been training a lot more… You should take off the shirt for me. Before Dad realizes my door's shut and locked."

Puck paused for a moment, looking at her, and then grinned. "As you wish, Grimm." His hands moved to the hem of his shirt, grasping the fabric and preparing to pull it up.

***.*.*.*.***

**A/N:**

**Ayns: **So, what do you think?

Are we not deliciously evil?

I think we are. What do you think, Sky? Would you say that was evil?

**Sky: **Why, yes it was. After all, I'm the one who cut it off there. ^^ Will he take it off or won't he? Will he? Won't he? BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA YOU'LL NEVER KNOW.

**Ayns: **Well, you'll never know until we post the next chapter. Which we'll do...eventually. ^^ But you must be patient.

**Sky: **Or freak out. Either one will be fun. ^^ R/R, luvvies! And keep an eye out for the next one-shot (once we work out the kinks in the request!)


	19. An Exchange of Gifts and a Year of Peace

**EDIT: Sky: Re-Added scene skips.**

**A/N:**

**Sky: **Hiiiii^^ **To start us off, let's just say I've had the week from HELL.** I've been extremely busy with work, Alaska's in some freak heat-wave, my brain melted and poured out one of my ears, and a few of the reviews were a bit of a downer XD However, the rest of the reviews friggin rocked, and I love you guys X3 (By the way, that is a face. Tilt your head to the left and pretend it's cute. Okay tilt back up.) And yes, we were evil with the fanservice last chapter. We're less evil this time. ^^

Since we've been so busy, the one-shots have been delayed just a tad, but we'll be getting those out soon. Mostly it's due to communication and working with the requests, but it's also partly procrastination.

**Another freaking note to the readers about rating and content: If you cannot handle thirteen-year-olds making out or getting frisky, you may as well skip the entire first scene in this chapter. **While they will get older fast (There is another year or so skip in this chapter) the content is only going to get more graphic. The Thanksgiving scene we wrote took place roughly a month before Sabrina turned 14, **meaning she is a month from 14 in this next scene. **This is also the last chapter of 'filler' content before we get to the darker plot.

**Ayns: **::shudder:: Darker plot. But I'm looking forward to it. But yes, work has been crazy, and will continue to be crazy for awhile – I have to build a website from scratch by the end of the month, for instance. But the one-shots will get done, and of course we'll have more chapters. I'm making my part in the A/N short simply because Sky's wasn't (for good reason) and also because I'm anticipating something that Sky said I could have after we got this chapter posted. :3 **So, please enjoy the chapter!**

**Sky: **:P Anyway, THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR REVIEWERS. I know you want to read now, so I'll put the list at the bottom instead. ^^

***.*.*.*.***

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter Nineteen: An Exchange of Gifts and a Year of Peace_**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

Puck grasped the fabric of his shirt and tugged it up and over his head with a flourish. The training had been paying off - he was growing into himself, his body beginning the changes from a boy to a man. With a confident smirk on his face, he tossed the shirt to the side, hair falling back into place. It was a little more tousled than normal, giving him more of a boyish charm.

His chest was smooth, with hints of muscle defining his upper body and stomach. Though he didn't tan much, his skin wasn't exactly pale. His pants hung low on his hips, and he simply grinned, letting one hand rest at the waistband. Everything about his posture seemed to scream that he was hot and he knew it.

He looked at Sabrina then, his eyes gleaming. "What do you think?" he asked.

"I think this is a nice distraction," Sabrina answered, mouth going a little dry. She couldn't help but blush, staring openly at him. "Don't let it go to your head, though."

Puck chuckled, his eyes shining. He leaned back a touch. "Go ahead and look all you want," he said. "You're boosting my ego in a major way." He couldn't keep himself from glancing her over as well, though she was fully clothed.

"How cocky are you gonna be if I keep looking?" she asked, weighing out the options in her mind. Stop looking and deflate his ego, or stare and keep herself happy.

"Oh, I can be pretty cocky," Puck said, "but don't let that stop you. I can tell you enjoy it." He smiled at her, then reached out and brushed her hair back from her face.

Sabrina blushed, scowled, then sighed and managed a grin. "Eat it up while ya can, Trickster King," she said teasingly.

"Oh, I will," Puck said brightly. "At least until your parents realize that door is closed and locked. We should have company more often, though, because I think that's keeping them from figuring it out."

"Wonder how much time we have," Sabrina murmured, reaching out and touching his chest with her bare hand. She marveled at the feel, brushing her fingers over his newer muscles. "Maybe ten more minutes."

"Ten more minutes?" Puck shivered at the touch of her fingers against his skin. He covered her hand with his. "That's time enough." He cupped the back of her head and drew her close for another kiss.

Sabrina gave a soft moan, leaning in close. Her hand went flat against his chest, and she found herself pushing him down with her on the bed so that she was partially on top of him. In response, Puck slid his arms around as she moved over him, kissing her firmly and thoroughly. A million teasing things ran through his head for him to say to her, but since they only had ten minutes he didn't want to waste it breaking the kiss and then getting hit. He'd rather save the teasing for a moment when they couldn't be making out like this.

The predicted ten minutes flew by while they held each other and kissed. The knock on the door made Sabrina quickly sit up, flustered and disheveled. She had to move her shirt fully into place, since Puck's hands had been under it in the back, and there was a new hickey on her collarbone that she wondered if she could hide.

"Sabrina?" Veronica called. "Why is your door locked?"

"U-um..." Sabrina trailed off.

Puck sat up, reached for his shirt and tugging it back over his head. "Want me to escape out the window?" he whispered, knowing she'd get in trouble if her parents found out they were in the room together with the door locked. At least it was Veronica and not Henry. He'd been worse since realizing Kerdy had a thing for Daphne.

"Please," Sabrina whispered. Then, louder, she answered Veronica. "I was just getting some rest, but I didn't want the door unlocked with all the guests over."

"Mmhmm. Your father's on his way, so you might want to hurry and push Puck out the window, then unlock your door."

"...Y-yes, mother," Sabrina squeaked, blushing. How did Veronica know -everything-?

"Have I mentioned your mom is _awesome_?" Puck asked, getting up from the bed. He leaned down and kissed Sabrina swiftly, then winked at her and moved to the window. His pixies already had it open - such good pixies they were - and he spread his wings to leave.

"Mom's scary." Sabrina shook her head as Puck jumped out the window, but she got up and went to the mirror to brush her hair back before unlocking her door. She shuddered a little in front of the mirror, but not as badly as before.

Once she had the door unlocked, she dashed to her bed and climbed in, knowing her father was probably on his way up. She'd have to thank Veronica later for the help.

***.*.*.*.***

"Sabrina, look!" Daphne held up one of the ornaments that she was holding. It was a dog with a Santa hat on its head. "This one looks like Elvis."

Elvis looked up for the tissue paper he'd been pawing and gave Daphne a look. It was Christmas Eve, and they were putting the finishing touches on the Christmas tree. Daphne was wearing a pair of red and white pajamas, and she had a Santa hat perched on her head - her pigtails stuck out from underneath it.

"Yeah, uh... It does kinda look like Elvis," Sabrina agreed, looking at the ornament. It didn't, really, but even at nine and almost ten, Daphne was as excitable as ever. Puck had her convinced that Santa was an Everafter, even though everyone else knew he wasn't. He'd been keeping the 'joke' up ever since he and Sabrina had gotten together, and every year there were mysterious presents marked 'from Santa' to Daphne and sometimes Sabrina.

Mostly, it was Relda, Henry, and Veronica's doing, but Puck had chipped in a couple times for Daphne and Sabrina.

The younger Grimm looked pleased that Sabrina agreed, and stood up on her toes to attach the ornament to the tree. She was a demon when it came to Christmas - everything had to be absolutely perfect, accept no substitutions. She had presents for everyone, and she couldn't wait to give them out. Sometimes Kerdy's family came by on Christmas day or close to it, so she even had presents picked out for all of them.

"Looks like she's as spirited as ever," Puck said, speaking up from next to Sabrina without any warning that he'd arrived. "Have you had a chance to put any ornaments on the tree?"

Sabrina jumped, yelping slightly. With a scowl, she turned to look at him. "Yes, I have. Where were you?"

He grinned, and then grasped her arm. "Decorating," he said. "C'mon. Come with me. She'll never notice if you leave for a bit." Daphne was completely absorbed with tinsel.

"Why?" Sabrina asked, though she gave no protest to following. Besides, once Daphne was done decorating, she'd probably run to Henry and Veronica's room to coo over the newborn baby boy. The newest Grimm had been born two weeks before Christmas; his name was Cory.

"Because I've got something I want you to see," Puck replied. He held on to her wrist as he led her out of the living room, up the stairs and down the hall to his bedroom.

"If it's another statue of you with a crown and a throne, I'm so not interested," Sabrina said, raising an eyebrow. She was just wearing fleece pajamas to keep herself warm--the shirt said "I love Puck" all over it, and the pants were just blue. Sabrina just gave a glare of death at anyone who asked why she had and wore such a shirt.

Puck grinned. "It's not a statue of me with a crown and a throne," he said. "Besides, statues don't do the real thing justice."

He pushed open the door to his room, and there didn't seem to be any difference at first. It was the same forest as ever, though now there was a dirt path leading from the entrance through the forest. Before, you'd basically had to find your way through it by luck.

"Hey, a pathway," Sabrina pointed out, looking surprised. "When did you put that in?"

She was glad the slippers she wore had good soles, because walking in socks through his forest sucked.

"About a month ago," Puck said. "I haven't decided if I should keep it dirt or pave it or something. What do you think?" He led her towards the pathway.

It was clear the path had been made deliberately - the branches of the trees bent overhead in an arched canopy.

"Don't pave it," Sabrina said, moving her hand so that their fingers intertwined, instead of his just circling her wrist. "It's not like you."

Puck grinned, squeezing her hand and looking at her. "S'what I was thinking," he said, "but I like hearing you say it. Come on - what I want to show you is at the end."

Sabrina followed along, but it was obvious she was trying to figure out what he was up to. He was either about to be very sweet and romantic, or she was getting dunked in honey.

It was impossible to figure out the destination until they got there. The forest seemed thick and dense - until suddenly, it wasn't, and the trees opened up to reveal a meadow. In the center of the meadow was a large tree, bigger than the rest. And nestled high up in its branches was a sprawling tree house, with a balcony wrapping its way around the entire structure. A winding staircase wrapped around the trunk of the tree, and there were huge windows on all sides.

At the base of the tree stood Puck's trampoline, as if it were a perfectly natural place to put a trampoline.

Puck stood next to Sabrina, grinning and waiting for her reaction.

Sabrina paused in the meadow, taking in the sight. The first thing she noticed was the large trampoline--the thing looked bigger than ever before. Then she noticed a tree right next to it, and with a slightly confused look in her eyes, she tilted her head.

Though it was snowy and cold outside, Puck's room hadn't changed seasons. The tree house looked dry and cozy. Her own imagination couldn't do it justice--it was more beautiful than all her daydreams. And she knew Puck had made it just for her.

"You... You made me a tree house?" she asked, turning to him in astonishment when she was done staring at her obvious gift.

Puck nodded. "Like it?" he asked. "It took me awhile to get it right - a couple of times I messed it up and had to start some parts of it over again. Are the stairs okay? There's a rope ladder, too, if you prefer that."

"It's perfect," Sabrina said softly, looking back up at the tree house. "I didn't think you'd remember... I haven't said anything about it in a really long time. Heck, I'd almost forgotten we had that conversation."

Puck laughed. "I started working on it that night," he said. "I mean, you said you wouldn't come into my room again unless I changed it, too."

"I don't see any monkeys," Sabrina confirmed, looking around. "Wow, Puck... I think this is the sweetest thing you've ever done for me."

Her cheeks flushed, and she quickly reached up to wipe at her eyes with her sleeve.

"Well, wait until the rest of your present before you say that," Puck said.

And right on cue, a soft whicker came from near the tree trunk. A moment later, a delicate-looking horse with a black coat and white stockings stepped out and looked at Sabrina curiously.

Sabrina stared blankly for a moment at the beautiful pony, uncomprehending. It had a large red bow fastened to one side, but not too tightly. "You..."

She turned and looked up at Puck. "You got me a pony, too?" she yelped.

Puck grinned. "You said you wanted one," he said innocently. "She doesn't have a name yet."

"I was mostly being sarcastic," Sabrina whispered, reaching up to wipe her eyes again. She was so incredibly touched that she couldn't stop a few tears from escaping.

"I don't take chances," Puck said. He leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Merry Christmas, Sabrina."

Sabrina lowered her arm, looking up at him. Tears glittered on her lashes, but didn't fall as she leaned up to kiss him. She'd seen mistletoe hovering overhead, and wasn't sure if Puck or his room had decided to place it there--it hadn't been there before. Either way, she didn't care. Puck wrapped his arms around Sabrina and closed his eyes, kissing her back without hesitation. This was definitely a satisfying response.

"Does this mean you'll spend more time in my room now?" he murmured against her mouth.

"Yeah," she murmured back, hugging him tightly. She'd been contemplating it more anyway; ever since Thanksgiving. Confiding in Puck about her nightmares had made her feel a lot better, but it hadn't made the nightmares go away. They still happened every so often--once or twice a week.

Puck grinned and hugged her tightly. "Wanna see inside?" he asked, referring to the tree house.

"Let me see my pony first," Sabrina decided, pulling back. "It's a she?"

Puck nodded. "I thought you might want a girl," he said, looking over at the pony. She walked towards them, looking at Sabrina with bright, curious eyes.

"Good choice," Sabrina said, pulling back completely and walking up to the horse with a slight hesitance in her step. She felt stupid saying 'hi' or something, so she didn't say anything, just edging closer to touch her.

The pony's ears pricked and she reached out her neck towards Sabrina. Gently she nuzzled Sabrina's cheek - she wasn't a large horse. In fact, she was the perfect size for Sabrina.

"Wow," Sabrina breathed, petting the pony with eagerness that rivaled Daphne's. "I wish I could think of a good name."

"You'll figure one out soon enough," Puck said with certainty, watching as the pony continued to nuzzle Sabrina happily, her tail swishing back and forth.

Puck grinned. Finding a pony in Ferryport Landing hadn't been easy, so he'd sent a letter to his brother asking Mustardseed to hunt around. His brother had sent back several pictures of different horses, and Puck had known the moment he'd seen this one's picture that it was the right pony for Sabrina.

"Hm..." Sabrina trailed off for a moment, stroking the pony's mane. "I don't want something corny like Rainbow, but a person's name would seem weird too..."

"Well, she's mostly black," Puck suggested. "How about Midnight or something?"

"That falls under the category with Rainbow," Sabrina joked. "But it got me thinking--I really like the name Celeste. What do you think?"

"Sounds great," Puck said, and the newly named Celeste pranced in place and nuzzled Sabrina's hair. "And I think she likes it, too."

Sabrina grinned, petting Celeste. "Good girl," she said cooing a little. "Now Puck, can I see my tree house?"

"Sure things, do you want to take the stairs, or do you want me to fly you up?" Puck asked. His wings fluttered behind him.

"May as well fly me up," Sabrina said, turning to him and grinning. "I can climb it later."

"Sorry, Celeste, but it's my turn," Puck said cheerfully to the pony. He scooped Sabrina up into his arms, and then lifted off into the air and up to the tree house.

He landed nimbly on the balcony and set her down, pushing open the door into the tree house. The floor was covered with fluffy pillows and soft blankets - perfect for relaxing and taking it easy.

"Wow," Sabrina couldn't help but say, looking around. It was almost perfect. "This looks freaking comfortable. I wish I could sleep in here... But dad would kill me."

"Well, maybe you can't sleep in here, but you can come in here and relax," Puck said. "So how accurate am I to what you wanted?"

"Almost perfect," Sabrina said. "But don't worry, it's more than enough."

Puck scowled. "It needs to be perfect," he said. "So tell me what I need to add. I'll put it in." He looked at her earnestly.

"Seriously, it's fine," Sabrina said sternly, giving him a look that meant she didn't want him to stress over it.

Puck read the look, and then looked sheepish. Well, when she gave him a look like that... "All right," he said. He tugged her into his arms and kissed her. "You know, your dad says we have to keep the door to your room open when we're in there, but he's never said anything about my room."

"But you don't want him to come in here with an axe, right?" she asked dryly when the kiss broke. She took off her slippers so she wouldn't get the blankets dirty, then walked over to a nice patch of pillows, sitting down in them.

Puck made a face, settling down onto the pillows with her. "Would he really come in here with an axe?" he asked. "I can't wait until your sister is older and he can focus more on her and Kerdy."

"Maybe we can get away with more, now that Cory's around," Sabrina joked, snuggling in his arms.

Puck kissed the top of her head. "True, babies need a lot of attention, right?" he asked. "Not that I've been around a lot of babies before."

"Tons," Sabrina murmured. She nuzzled against him and closed her eyes. "Merry Christmas Eve," she said softly.

"Merry Christmas Eve," Puck murmured back to her, tightening his arms around her. He couldn't help but watch her.

Yep. The Trickster King was definitely in love.

***.*.*.*.***

Daphne gazed down into the cradle that belonged to her baby brother, beaming happily. Christmas Day had passed, and it had come with a plethora of gifts, one of which was sitting in the cradle with Cory right then. A tiny stuffed bear with fairy wings. The only person who hadn't come by to give or receive a gift in fact, had been Kerdy. Sabrina had comforted Daphne, and Garret had assured her he would be by soon enough. He'd also promised that Kerdy wasn't sick, dying, maimed, locked in his room, or off somewhere forgetting about Daphne, all of which had been worries she'd expressed. Daphne had decided to wait on giving Kerdy his gift, wanting to see him in person first.

"Hi, Cory," she said to the little boy. Anyone who feared that Daphne would be upset at no longer being the youngest shouldn't have worried - she'd taken to Cory instantly, and insisted on helping with him whenever she could. "Are you ready to get up from your nap?"

Puck had made more than a few comments about Daphne being good with babies, usually when Kerdy was around and making sure that the other boy heard him. Kerdy would always turn red and stop talking for a little while.

Cory stared up at his sister, then burst into baby giggles and flailed around a bit. He couldn't focus or move very well, being that he was a newborn, but Daphne's presence always made him happy.

His aura was the same happy white shade that Kerdy's family always had, except it was tinged with light blue. Daphne had told Kerdy that the light blue might have been a family color; everyone in her family had it somewhere in their aura.

Daphne beamed, and reached into the cradle to carefully pick up her baby brother. She cuddled him against her chest. "Let's go find Mom," she said. She'd begged Veronica to let her be the one to get Cory when he woke up. She loved looking at him, at the confirmation that he was very much the happy baby.

"You really are good with him," Kerdy's voice came from the doorway. He was leaning against the frame, looking utterly casual. His blonde hair swept over one eye, even though he'd just pushed it back, and he wore a dark blue sweater with the words "Cutie+1" stitched on them. His jeans were regular--something he was thankful for. "As you can see, mom attacked the yarn again. I heard she gave you guys gifts too."

Daphne turned, cuddling Cory, and her eyes lit up when she saw Kerdy. "Yeah, I love the sweater that she gave me," she said brightly. She looked down at Cory affectionately. "Isn't he a sweetie, Kerdy?"

"Very much so," Kerdy grinned, walking over. Cory had stuck his tongue out, and was blowing baby-raspberries.

Kerdy looked at Daphne, feeling a bit apprehensive. He was the only one in his family who hadn't gotten anyone in the Grimm family a gift, and he wasn't sure if Daphne hurt or upset.

Daphne watched Cory blow raspberries fondly - he was just so _little!_ - and then looked up at Kerdy. She'd been disappointed that he hadn't gotten her a gift, but then again he hadn't gotten anyone in their family a gift so it wasn't like she was being left out. "I didn't know you were coming over today," she said.

"I wanted to come visit you," Kerdy smiled. "About Christmas..."

Cory looked up, then started making sucking motions with his mouth, conveying with his eyes to Daphne that it was food time. "Awoo..."

Daphne hesitated, and then looked down at Cory. "I have to get him to Mom so that he can eat," she said to Kerdy. "Will you come with me and we can talk?" It definitely sounded like Kerdy wanted to say something.

"Sure," Kerdy said, reaching out and tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "Better get the little guy some food."

Daphne ducked her head shyly, and nodded.

She hurried Cory to the living room where Veronica was, passing her baby brother off to their mother so that he could eat. She didn't miss the opportunity to tell Veronica that Cory was being very good, and that he looked like he'd had a nice nap.

Once Cory was safely in his mother's care, Daphne turned back to Kerdy, question marks in her eyes.

"Why don't you two go on up to the room? Don't forget to leave the door open," Veronica said, looking to Kerdy sternly. She also knew Kerdy was embarrassed to be around her while she breastfed.

"Good idea," Kerdy said hastily, putting his hand on Daphne's back.

"Okay," Daphne agreed readily, leading the way up to the room that she shared with Red. The other girl wasn't there at the moment - often during the day she was with Mr. Canis. She was really proud of the way that the room had turned out once she and Red had finished decorating it.

Kerdy shifted in the doorway when they got to the room, then shut the door behind them, leaving it open a crack. He went over to Daphne's bed and sat down, reaching into his pocket.

Daphne darted a shy glance over at the nearly closed door, then looked back at Kerdy. "What did you want to talk to me about?" she asked.

"I couldn't think of anything to get you for Christmas," Kerdy said. "So your gift is late, I'm sorry."

He pulled his hand from his pocket, blushing badly.

"You got me a gift?" Daphne asked, her eyes lighting up. She would have been fine if he hadn't, but the fact that she had filled her with a happiness that she hadn't expected and didn't mind at all.

"I wouldn't forget you, Princess," Kerdy smiled at her. He held out the gift. A single red rose sprang to life, in full bloom, and it hovered over his hand as if an invisible force was keeping it upright. "I had this enchanted for you."

A soft gasp escaped from Daphne as she stared at the rose. "I-it's beautiful," she stammered, unable to take her eyes off of it. Beautiful was an understatement - it was the prettiest thing that she had ever seen.

Kerdy's expression was soft as he held it out to her. The petals fluttered, then opened for her. Nestled in the center of the rose was a soft pink crystal that sparkled brilliantly.

"This rose is for protection, Daphne," Kerdy said. "It'll keep you safe in case of danger... And if something bad is going to happen... Well, the colors change, just like the auras you see."

Daphne reached out and gently took the rose, swallowing hard as she looked down at it. How could something so pretty and perfect exist, and what was it doing in her hands?

"It's...it's wonderful," she whispered. "I've never seen anything so..." She blushed. "Thank you, Kerdy."

Kerdy's cheeks flushed even deeper. "You can't destroy it, either. I mean, Garret helped me try to break it, but it won't wilt unless..." He swallowed suddenly around the lump in his throat. "Unless you die."

"I won't do that," she said, looking at the flower and the crystal in it. Then she moved closer and kissed his cheek softly, just a tiny peck.

She was still blushing when she pulled back. "I-I got you a present, too," she said. "But I don't think it's nearly as good as yours."

Kerdy decided not to check the mirror to see if his cheeks were on fire. Instead, he smiled at her. "Anything you get me is perfect, Princess."

Daphne set the rose down on her nightstand, where it looked like it belonged, and then pulled open one of the drawers. She pulled out a thin, long package wrapped in Christmas paper. Then she held it out to Kerdy without a word.

Since both of them would end up fainting if they couldn't stop blushing, Kerdy swallowed and tried to calm down. He carefully unwrapped the package. It was a plain white box, like the kind you would find from a jewelry store.

Inside the box, nestled in tissue paper, was a pendant on a thin cord. The pendant was a perfect circle, and the stone it was carved out of was the purest white that Daphne could find.

"It reminds me of your aura," Daphne said shyly. When she'd found the pendant she'd known that she had to get it for Kerdy, even though it had taken most of the money she'd saved up to get it. But that was okay with her. Something had told her she _had_ to get it for him.

Kerdy smiled, blue eyes studying the pendant and seeing the thought she'd put into it.. Then he looked up and smiled at her. Daphne was watching his expression, and she smiled back when he looked to her. She was standing higher than him, since he was sitting on the bed. "I love it, Princess. Thank you."

"Really?" she asked, tucking her hands behind her back. "It's not too plain? It's nothing like the rose, I don't know how to enchant items like that, but I thought you'd like it."

Kerdy laughed softly, moving to put the pendant on. He tied the cord so that he wouldn't be able to take it back off--he had no need. Then he tugged Daphne to sit next to him, looking at her. "I didn't expect you to enchant anything, Daphne. I don't know how to do it either. I had to ask people with magic."

Daphne smiled at him, her eyes bright - and then she gave her typical Daphne response when she was happy. She threw her arms around Kerdy and hugged him sideways. "Merry Christmas, Kerdy," she said brightly, not caring that the gift-giving was late and that it was after Christmas.

Kerdy swallowed, then hugged her back and smiled. "Merry Christmas, Princess."

Daphne rested her head against him. "I hope this year is a good year," she said softly. "I just want everyone to be happy, Kerdy."

"I hope it will be," Kerdy said. "Daphne, I need to tell you something."

Daphne paused, and lifted her head. "Hmm?"

"I..." He looked down at her. His expression faltered, and then he just smiled. "Nothing. Nevermind, princess."

Daphne bit her lip, feeling like it was definitely not a nothing or a nevermind. He was definitely going to tell her something before he stopped.

"Will you tell me some day?" she asked hesitantly.

"Someday," Kerdy promised. "Just not today."

"Okay." Daphne stopping biting her lip and nodded. "I trust you, Kerdy." If he said he'd tell her someday, then he would. And she'd be patient and wait.

He reached out and tousled her hair. "Let's go find your sister and cream her with a snowball. It snowed a little this morning."

Daphne's eyes lit up. "I know, I saw it out my window but I haven't been out in it yet, I wanted to wait until Cory woke up from his nap, do you think Sabrina and Puck will want to play in the snow with us?"

Kerdy laughed. "I bet I can get them out there if you wanna ready an ambush."

Daphne gave an eager bounce on the bed, her braids swishing with the movement. "Okay!" she said. "I'm an expert at snowball making!"

"I'll meet you out there," Kerdy grinned at her, then stood and hurried out to find Puck and Sabrina.

Daphne threw on a sweater - the one that Gerda had given her - and headed for the door. She paused briefly to look fondly at the rose that Kerdy had given her, before darting out to get outside and start making snowballs. And maybe a snow fort, too. If she had time. Snowballs first.

***.*.*.*.***

"Do you think they know we're up here?" Sabrina breathed, sounding like she'd just survived a war. She had snow sticking in places she didn't want to mention, and she was drenched. She and Puck had been tricked outside by Kerdy, ambushed by Daphne, and overpowered. In a desperation act, Puck had flown into the trees with Sabrina, and then onto the roof of the house. Luckily, they hadn't been seen. Unluckily, Kerdy and Daphne had the entrances to the house guarded. Even going into a window would be difficult.

"I hope not," Puck muttered. "Sometimes I swear your sister is a demon when it comes to snow. I have snow stuck in places where snow should not be. And it's very, very cold." He looked at her - his hair was soaked from the ambush, and his clothes were spotted white where snow clung and would not come off. "They completely planned this."

"Ugh," Sabrina groaned. "I'm so freaking cold. How long do you think before they give up?"

"I don't know, it might be awhile."

Puck gave her a sly grin, and reached over, sliding his arm around her waist. "But if you're cold we could find a way to warm you up," he said.

Sabrina scowled at him. Then she shrugged. "Kay, let's do that."

Puck blinked, and his eyes widened. "Really?" he asked. He hadn't expected her to agree so readily to his suggestion. And he couldn't keep his grin from growing.

"I'm _cold," _Sabrina complained, frowning at him. "If we're gonna do something, let's do it."

Puck didn't need to be told a second time. He tugged her closer to him, his arm securely around her waist as he leaned in for a kiss. He was cold, too - but this would have the added benefit of getting him warm, too.

Sabrina closed her eyes, pressing close to him and parting her lips. His wet clothes added to hers and only made it worse, so she pulled back and took off her sweater. She had a long-sleeved green shirt underneath.

"Good idea," Puck said, tugging off the sweater he was wearing. The shirt he wore underneath was thinner and not as warm - but that was the point, wasn't it? They were going to warm up.

Sabrina grinned, then practically tackled him, leaning over him while she kissed him. Their undershirts weren't as wet, so heat immediately radiated.

Puck wrapped his arms around her, pressing his palms flat against her back to feel the warmth of her skin as they kissed. Oh yeah. This was _exactly_ what he'd been hoping for. There was nothing better, in his opinion, than kissing Sabrina.

***.*.*.*.***

After about an hour, well after Daphne and Kerdy had given up looking, Sabrina and Puck went back into the house. It had been a sunny day, so not only were they flushed and warm, but Sabrina had a bit of a sunburn on her arms and back. She simply blushed and refused to comment on it.

She and Puck quickly learned not to trust Daphne when it came to going outside when there was snow--thankfully it went away by January.

For the next several months, things had become almost too peaceful. Snow gave birth to a little girl at the beginning of February, and it made the mayor even more protective. He already had the police working double time to make sure the Scarlet Hand didn't act up, and Bluebeard didn't leave his castle.

Nobody really commented when Kerdy started failing all of his classes. In fact, his mother even seemed excited when it turned out he'd be held back a grade. By the time Sabrina and Puck turned fifteen, a full year after Kerdy had given Daphne her rose, due to being held back and pushed down in classes voluntarily, Kerdy was in their class.

Sabrina never missed an opportunity to tease him over the fact that he was trying to make sure he was still in school when Daphne reached the high school grades, or that she was going to be taller eventually.

***.*.*.*.***

She and Puck had been arguing all day, and the now fifteen Sabrina was not thrilled to have been pranked because of an argument that started over the last cheeseburger from the cafeteria.

"That's it, I'm going out and I don't want to see you again for a week!" Sabrina yelled, storming from the house with her almost glowing hair. It was bright lime green, and reminded Veronica of jello.

"Ha!" Puck shouted after her, hovering in the air inside the room with his wings beating furiously. "You can't resist me and you know it! And when you come back, BRING ME A CHEESEBURGER!"

He let out a loud huff, crossing his arms over his chest and scowling. Then he noticed Elvis staring at him. "What are you looking at?" he growled, and Elvis just pricked his ears and gave him a doggy-grin.

Daphne peeked into the room, hugging her journal to her chest. She'd seen Sabrina's hair color…and had decided to avoid the same room that Puck and Sabrina were in together for the time being. She loved them both dearly but they were scary when they were mad at each other.

For a brief moment, a shimmering cord appeared to Puck from his wrist to the freshly slammed door. And then with a sharp tug, he was sent flying into said door with a comical 'thud'. Daphne's eyes went wide at the same time Puck yelped and Sabrina shouted 'HAH' from outside.

Puck managed to push himself away from the door. "HEY!" he shouted, his face red from the force of the collision. He let out a growl, and then snatched at his bracelet and squeezed it in response.

The cord appeared and disappeared as Sabrina took off running, squeezing her bracelet in response when she caught the glittery line in the corner of her eye. "YOU WISH!" she shouted back.

Red peeked from behind a wall, her eyes wide and cheeks flushed. She had been meditating with Mr. Canis again, but the shouting had distracted her, so she'd run off to investigate.

Puck's face flushed with anger. "CHEATER!" he shouted through the closed door, not even thinking clearly enough to realize the shout might have carried more weight if he'd opened the door first.

Daphne shook her head, then noticed Red peeking out. She went over to the other girl. "Hi, Red," she said with a smile. "Are they being too loud? Don't mind them, this is how they're affectionate with each other."

Red looked up at Daphne shyly. "Hi," she said softly. "I know. I usually avoid it," she murmured. "Sabrina gets mad easily."

Daphne nodded. "I know," she said. "But she gets over it if you can wait it out." She smiled at her. "Are you hungry?"

Red smiled. "No, thanks." With a little skip in her step, she shyly retreated back to her room to resume meditating.

At dinner time, Sabrina still hadn't returned. Veronica didn't seem worried, and she'd assured Daphne, Henry, and Relda in private that Sabrina was okay. She was letting Puck sweat it out.

"Where is she?" Puck demanded, pacing in front of the window and peering through the glass. He looked at the clock on the wall, then back out the window. "It's been hours. Where is she?" He stopped and looked back at the clock, then scowled. "She should be back by now!"

Henry shook his head slightly, looking at Veronica with a raised eyebrow. They were used to Puck doing this when Sabrina was out of sight for longer than what he deemed reasonable - which seemed to change each time. Puck was rather inconsistent when it came to these things.

Veronica shook her head with a smile. Puck was precious. She and Henry had been watching the relationship bloom, and she'd calmed Henry's protective instincts. When it came to boyfriends, Puck was the best and worst at times.

Puck muttered something under his breath, tapping his foot.

Then he walked over to the door and pulled it open, stepping out onto the porch. He squeezed the bracelet, a look of 'show up or else' on his face.

The cord shimmered into view. Then there was a gentle double tug. It vanished right after.

Puck's jaw dropped, and then he let out another grumble. He squeezed the bracelet again, and gave his own tug - just one - in response.

Another double tug, followed by the cord vanishing. From dining room, Veronica tried very hard not to laugh.

"What is he doing?" Daphne asked, not quite seeing it from where she was. She got up and went to stand next to Veronica - then hid her giggle when she saw Puck give another, insistent tug on his string.

"He's simply being Puck,_ liebling,"_ Relda said warmly, placing the dinner dishes on the table.

After about an hour and a half of tugging, Sabrina didn't tug back after his 'yes' squeeze. The cord remained visible; she wasn't deactivating it.

"HA!" Puck crowed in triumph. Since dinner had been virtually forgotten with the tug-of-war, he spread his wings and took off, following the cord that remained visible. He knew Sabrina wouldn't be able to resist him for that long!

***.*.*.*.***

At Jake and Briar's home, Jake shook his head. "She's so completely stubborn," he joked quietly and affectionately.

Sabrina was sleeping next to a barely touched plate of food, hand on her arm above her bracelet. She'd fallen asleep right after her last 'no', mouth open a little bit. She looked incredibly cute like always, her green hair falling over her cheek.

Briar came up to Jake and slipped her arm through his. "She's adorable," she said with her own dose of affection. "No matter how much those two fight, you can tell how much they care about each other." She looked at Jake, her eyes shining.

Jake looked back at Briar, his own eyes shining. He reached out and took one of her hands in both of his, bringing it to his lips. "Just like I care about you, Rose," he said warmly. He couldn't resist winking at her.

Briar felt the heat rising in her cheeks. They'd been married for over a year and she still felt giddy every time she looked at him. She smiled, and took a step closer to him.

There was a thud outside the front door, and then a knock.

Jake pulled her close and kissed her softly, ignoring the knock for a moment. Then he headed to the door and opened it, figuring it would be Puck or one of Briar's fairy godmothers come by to check up on her again. And again. And AGAIN.

As expected, Puck was standing on the other side, blonde hair tousled from flying and the hood of his green hoodie bunched up behind his neck. His wings weren't out, and Jake couldn't help but give a little grin of amusement at the sight. Puck looked at Jake, tossing his head and addressing him haughtily, "Where is she?" The moment he'd realized she was at Jake and Briar's he'd stopped being frantic about where she was - now he just wanted to see her.

Before Jake could respond, Puck moved to slip into the house.

"At the table," Jake said, rolling his eyes and making his way back to Briar. "She was eating dinner."

Sabrina had barely shifted. The only difference now was that her hair was sliding over her arm and cheek. Her hand remained on the bracelet, fingers brushing it, both arms on the table.

Puck caught sight of Sabrina and stopped. He had an odd look on his face - torn somewhere between letting his emotions show and hiding them. She was probably the cutest girl in the world. He walked over to the table and placed his hand over hers, just standing there and watching her for a long moment. It made Briar want to melt. Puck and Sabrina were too wonderful.

It took Sabrina a little while to wake up. When she did, she squeezed the bracelet, tugged twice gently, squeezed it and fell back asleep after a cute half-yawn that sounded a lot like a kitten's mewl. Puck found it very endearing.

Puck smirked, pulled up a chair next to Sabrina and sat down, crossing one leg over the other. He squeezed and tugged once to see if he could get her to do it again. He wanted to hear that noise again.

Sabrina shifted, nibbling at the air for a moment, as if the fork with a slice of meatloaf on it would magically be in her mouth. Then she tugged twice, sitting up a bit. "Mew…" She blinked a few times, then leaned back down and squeezed the bracelet to de-activate it.

She closed her eyes and fell back asleep.

Leaning forward, Puck brushed his lips against hers after she had fallen back asleep. "Cute," he whispered to her. He decided to wait for a bit to see if she'd wake up on her own or if he'd have to tug on the bracelet again.

She mumbled something in her sleep. She nibbled at the air again. She was incredibly tired and trying to stay awake, but all it was doing was making her try to eat non-existent food. She'd interrupted dinner to tug-of-war with Puck, and since she'd had a nightmare recently, she hadn't gotten very good sleep.

Puck leaned forward again, putting his mouth near her ear. "There's food if you wake up, Grimm," he whispered, his lips brushing her ear. She was probably going to kill him when she woke up and realized he'd been messing with her in her sleep, but he just couldn't resist.

She shifted, then sat up. Her eyes were sleepy as she looked around, and at first she seemed ready to pass back out. Then she went back to what she'd been doing before the tug-of-war. "Stupid Puck," she yawned, trying to get a spoonful of macaroni and cheese to her mouth.

"So I'm stupid, am I?" Puck asked with barely concealed amusement, leaning back in his chair as he waited for her to realize he was watching her.

She turned, blinking with the spoon in her mouth. Then her eyes snapped open in realization. Puck grinned at her and waved his hand. Sabrina's own eyes filled with recognition. "ACK!" She jerked away, only to end up falling backwards off her chair and bringing it down on top of her.

Puck stood up and leaned over her, hands on his hips. "Need a hand?" he asked with a laugh, his eyes dancing. That reaction had been utterly worth it.

She scowled. "Sure."

Then she squeezed the bracelet and grasped the string in one hand, tugging fast to bring him down hard on the chair, which was caged over her, but not crushing her.

"OOF!" Puck landed on the chair, throwing out his arms to try and break his fall. He looked at her. "Owww…" The chair had caught him in the chest and stomach, and if he hadn't been half expecting it, it would have knocked the wind out of him. His wings popped out like a delayed airbag.

"Jerk," Sabrina muttered, scooting out from under the chair and Puck. She rubbed her eyes sleepily.

Puck picked himself off, rubbing his stomach as he moved the chair. "Hey, it's not my fault you were oblivious to me every time you woke up," he said with a grin.

She scowled. "What are you doing here anyway? I'm not coming back for a week, remember?"

Puck reclaimed his chair, looking casual and smirking. "You didn't turn the bracelet off," he said, "so since you wouldn't come to me, I decided to come to you. "

"Well I don't want to see you for at least a week," Sabrina insisted, huffing as she put the chair back so she could sit again.

"At least a week?" Puck repeated. He reached out, and idly ran a finger along her neck. "Really a week?"

Her cheeks flushed, and then she smacked his hand away. "Unless you put my hair back to normal and forget the cheeseburger," she said stubbornly.

"But it would have been such a good cheeseburger," Puck complained. He took a few strands of her hair between his fingers, letting them fall through as he looked at her.

She pulled her hair away from him and backed away. "Nope. No deal Puck, fix my hair and forget the cheeseburger or I ignore you for a week."

Puck sulked for a moment. But unlike when they'd first begun dating and he'd been very adamant about getting his own way, he'd learned to compromise and quit while he was ahead. He had come to terms a long time ago with the fact that he was aging right along with her; the maturity level was growing as well.

He moved his fingers, curling them in the air, and her hair lost the green and returned to its normal blonde. "How's that?" he asked.

She examined the silky locks, then tossed them. "Okay, fine." She held her hand out to him. "Walk or fly me home then, Puck?"

"You two kids have fun," Jake chuckled. He hadn't really been watching them, too absorbed in kissing Briar.

"And if you fly, be careful," Briar cautioned, nuzzling Jake.

"I'm a natural when it comes to flying," Puck said, standing up and holding his hand out to Sabrina. Since he hadn't retracted his wings, it was obvious he intended to fly her back.

She took his hand, then moved close and wrapped her arms around his neck shyly. "You should stop messing with my hair. I really like it. My hair, that is." It was like the fight had never even happened.

"So do I," Puck said, carrying her outside and taking off. "Why do you think I keep messing with it?" He grinned down at her, the breeze from their flight ruffling his own hair.

She glared up at him. "I really hate when you mess with it. I wanna grow it out really long and you're always doing stuff that makes it look bad."

"Awww." Puck kissed her forehead. "Okay. I'll try to resist the urge to mess with your hair more. But really, Grimm, there's nothing I can do to your hair that would make it look bad."

Sabrina blushed and fell silent, then closed her eyes. "I'm gonna go back to sleep."

She didn't clarify, but Puck frowned down at her. She hadn't mentioned her nightmares returning, but he knew she still had them every once in a while.

Sabrina stretched her arms, yawning. It had been a long and tiring day at school, and she wanted to take a nap. They were smack in the middle of February, and she'd spent most of her day teasing Kerdy about asking the now eleven-year-old Daphne to be his valentine.

Kerdy had gone with Daphne to her self-defense class. He was the only boy who took the class, something he'd done to make sure he'd be better at fighting in case there was trouble. Rae or Forse usually gave them a ride home afterwards.

"You can't possibly be tired already, can you? We haven't been out of school that long."

Puck looked at Sabrina with a raised eyebrow, watching her yawn and stretch. He, personally, was wide awake. Of course, he'd also taken a nap _during_ school, in a couple of their classes, so that might explain it. Still - nap or no nap, he was awake, and she was yawning.

Sabrina glanced up at him and shrugged. She still hadn't been sleeping very well recently. "I actually paid attention during class."

"Speaking of," Puck said cheerfully, grinning, "did you take notes? You should show them to me so that I don't fall behind in class." He draped an arm around her shoulders. "We could go to the tree house, you could nap and I could copy-er look at your notes."

She couldn't resist rolling her eyes. "Yeah, I took notes. You're such a slacker."

Still, Sabrina couldn't turn down some relaxation in the tree house, and a visit with Celeste. Veronica had stayed home for months after Cory had been born, but now that he was a year old, Sabrina and Daphne had been expected to babysit from time to time. Red had remained physically the same age. She didn't have to go to school, so she spent her days meditating. All she'd recovered from her memories were the ones of her human life. She didn't want to talk about those. Even after remembering her family, she still slipped and called Mr. Canis 'papa'.

Mr. Canis never once discouraged Red from calling him Papa - every time she slipped, he acted as if there were nothing wrong with it, and spent much of his time with her. It was clear that just as much as she had come to think of him as a father, he had come to think of her as a daughter.

When they got to the tree house, Sabrina was greeted by a very enthusiastic pony. Celeste always seemed to know exactly when Sabrina came into the room, and made it her priority to find her and give her a nuzzle.

Sabrina laughed, petting Celeste. "Hi girl," she said. "Did you miss me or something?"

Celeste's ears pricked, and she stamped her hoof. She nuzzled Sabrina's cheek, looking very happy.

"You could be gone for five minutes and she acts like she hasn't seen you in five years," Puck joked.

"S'cause she's usually stuck with you, fairyboy," Sabrina teased.

"Hey, I treat her well, don't I, Celeste?" Puck asked.

Celeste gave Puck a skeptical look. Then she tossed her head and looked at him expectantly.

He sighed, and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a carrot. "You only like me 'cause I bring you carrots," he complained.

"Hah," Sabrina laughed. She spent a little more time lavishing attention to her beautiful horse (she sometimes let Daphne ride her) before heading to the rope ladder to climb up. Since she was pretty athletic, it didn't take her much time at all. She hadn't joined any sports teams or anything, but she could have gotten on any of them.

Puck took a more direct route - he simply flew up, landing on the balcony and going into the tree house that way.

"Ah, pillows," he said, letting himself fall onto a pile.

"You're so lazy," she said, shaking her head when she reached the top. "I don't know how you stay in shape. You eat like a pig, and you never exercise."

Puck grinned, rolling onto his side and looking at her. "Well, there's the training we do," he said. "That keeps me in pretty good shape, wouldn't you say?"

"I s'pose," Sabrina relented, plopping down next to him and yawning. She tossed her backpack into a corner. "My notes are in there, go for it. I'm gonnhave a nap."

Puck didn't make an immediate move for the bag, looking instead at her. "Hey," he said. "How have you been sleeping lately?" If she was so tired now...how much sleep had she been getting at night? And the cheeseburger incident a few days back… She'd been exhausted then too.

Sabrina hesitated, glancing up at him. Then she shrugged. "I'm fine, Puck. You worry too much. I almost miss it when you just laughed at me and threw stuff from a distance," she teased.

"I _could_ go back to that if you wanted," Puck said with a grin. "But you wouldn't get your nap if I did."

She swatted him. "Go do your homework, fairyboy. I'm taking a nap."

He leaned over and stole a quick kiss from her, then snatched at her bag and decided to actually do what she suggested for once.

Sabrina snuggled into the pillows, happily nestling in the sanctuary that Puck had created for her. Unfortunately, no amount of pillows, happy thoughts, or ponies could prepare her for the hell that was about to be unleashed in her world.

As she shifted, a soft sigh left her lips, which curved into a smile. "Just one more taste," she mumbled.

***.*.*.*.***

**A/N:**

**Sky:** FORESHADOWING ^^ Anyway, THANK YOU TO THE REVIEWERS^^ You guys are making us extremely happy and glad we decided to share this story. We're even re-doing the later chapters to make it better. **While Ayns and I will always write together, you guys are the reason we keep posting :) **And also a big thank you to **Tanglenight **for the fanfic on our fanfic. It's hilarious, and we couldn't ask for a better parody!

**Thanks to: pixiwings00, A CertainPeanitButterSandwich, silent-entrance, Viva-Musica, Schadenfreude62, amethystdolphin, Dragonfly, Dramaqueenruling, emerald and onyx, A.F., Lara D, Ascaisil, Squiggly **(Actually this is to ~~~~, but I call you Squiggly when referencing you out loud. ^^ Sorry about the block, but yay that you like to read this so much!), **fangfan5, Trickster Queen464, msjezzi-bella, Tina, Tanglenight, Grrrgirl1, Grimmgurl4Lyf3, Hippiegirl321995, curlscat, Alice Starr, minus your plus, RainbowofSmiles16, obsessedwithbooks, dog9girl, candigrl1212, Lumiere Nordiques, DeDe, Lyla Domae, **and **IKidnappedSpock! **


	20. The Future

**EDIT: Sky: Re-Added scene skips.**

**A/N:**

**Sky: **I'm sooooo sorry it took us so long! Between real life tossing us around to both of us fighting with each other and stuff, we've barely had time to breathe! Not to mention, **I am an idiot, and spilled boiling hot soup on my left hand, which makes it excruciatingly painful to type. **BUT! We've entered into our favorite plot. I'm updating this while Ayns is at work because we wanted to get it out ASAP.

First of all **HOLY MOTHERMONKEY ASTERISKSTICKS, BATMAN! We hit 500 reviews already? THAT'S OVER 40 REVIEWS FROM LAST CHAPTER! *brain spazzes and Sky dies***

Erm… I'm back now. Anyway holy crap guys, thank you so much! Because typing hurts, I'll get right to the point and let you read now. ENJOY!

***.*.*.*.***

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter Twenty: The Future_**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

_Sabrina's eyes flew open. She sat up with a horrified look on her face, hand going to her lips, touching them, as if she didn't believe they were there. She knew they had to be; she'd heard those awful words. Had Puck heard? Or was it in her head?_

_"Puck, what did I just say?" she breathed, looking at him._

_He ignored her, flipping through her notes with his back to her._

_"Puck, look at me," Sabrina snapped, reaching forward and grabbing his shoulder. She turned him when he didn't respond, and the scream that tore from her throat was an instant reaction that she couldn't control._

_Puck didn't say anything out loud, and she was immensely grateful for that. Considering the fact that his eyes were missing, trails of blood leaking from the empty sockets over his cheeks, and his lips were stitched shut, she didn't want to know anything he had to say._

_"Dreaming," she breathed, backing away as fast as she possibly could. "I'm dreaming, it's all just a dream…"_

_A harsh sob tore through her, and her hands came up to wipe at her eyes. Dreaming or not, seeing Puck like that was horrifying and painful._

_"One more taste," the voice murmured in her ear._

_Sabrina screamed and thrashed at the air, as if she could swat the voice that kept whispering in her ear. She knew it wouldn't work, but she was so disturbed and scared that she just wanted to thrash until she woke up._

_The tree house melted around her, changing back into the mossy stones and torch-lit corridors she remembered from the last dream. Immediately, she checked her hand for a wand, nearly sobbing again when she didn't see one. "Someone wake me up," She pleaded, shaking her head and starting down the hallway._

_A wave of pain hit her so hard that she sank to her knees, vomiting almost instantly. It hurt so badly that she couldn't even try to get up, eyes only half open. Suddenly, she wasn't sure which she wanted more—to be awake, or dead so she wouldn't ever feel anything so horrible again._

_She knelt there as long as possible, refusing to pick herself up. Maybe if she didn't go anywhere, she'd wake up. She wouldn't see herself in the mirror, with that horrible voice, and those disturbing words._

_The pain came again, making her scream until her throat felt raw. The moment it subsided, she figured to hell with hoping for the end, pushing herself up and running in any direction. Anywhere away from the spot that had felt painful._

_"AH!" She sobbed again in relief when a door came into view. It hadn't been there before._

_Throwing it open, she ran down the path, only to stop and stare. Until that point, she had been sure she would find herself somewhere like the Asylum Red had been in, or her own back yard. Even the Hall of Wonders—after all, it was a dream, right?_

_Instead she stood in a barren wasteland, surrounded by fire and screams._

_"Just a little more," she heard that voice whisper, knowing with mortification that it was her own. "There's one."_

_She looked to the side compulsively, trembling at the sight of the mutilated body the 'voice' had been implying she should go to. She didn't even want to know who it was supposed to be; she simply turned away and refused to turn back. The wounds had been horrible—it was as if the tormenter had purposefully tortured the victim before ending their life._

_"What's going on?" she asked out loud, her voice shaking. "Why is it different?"_

_A hand clamped down on her shoulder, making her scream. When she whirled around, it was only her reflection, staring at her from a large piece of broken glass behind her. But her reflection had a gaping hole in her chest, blood flowing from her eyes. She smiled at herself, and Sabrina could see the bodies in the background now. All of her loved ones, dead with gaping holes in their chests. Even Cory._

_Puck walked up behind her, putting his hand on her shoulder, somehow finding her without his eyes. His lips were still stitched shut, but he wrapped his arms around her. In the reflection, he was smiling, green eyes sad, but face unharmed._

_"No matter what, Grimm," he murmured in her ear._

_Just like that, he was gone, and Sabrina stood there by herself, more shaken than she'd ever been in her life. She turned around to look for Puck, crying out when something tripped her and she hit the ground hard._

_Standing over her was a little girl. Little Red Riding Hood._

_"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen," Red whispered._

_"Then why?" Sabrina demanded. "Why don't you stop it?"_

_Red shook her head. "I can't."_

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

Sabrina cried out, jerking awake. Her blonde hair had tangled around her upper body, expression almost shell-shocked.

She hadn't expected to be back in the tree house, forgetting momentarily that she had fallen asleep there. The first thing that she saw was Puck's concerned face. His hands were on her shoulders, and he was looking at her with a worried frown, his eyes blue rather than green. He'd been trying to wake her for at least five minutes, but all she had done was struggle and fight him. At the sight of his eyes, his face, even his unruly hair, Sabrina cried out in relief and threw herself at him, hugging him tight and burying her face in his shoulder. "Puck!"

Puck leaned back, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tightly. "Easy," he said, trying not to let his voice shake and reveal how worried he'd been when she'd been locked in the nightmare. "I'm here, I'm right here."

He placed his hand against the back of her head. He could feel her shaking in his arms. How bad had the dream been, to frighten her this much? Daphne was the heavy sleeper, not Sabrina - when he hadn't been able to wake her he'd started to get anxious.

Sabrina clutched him even tighter at the sound of his voice, her breathing unsteady and panicked. After a moment, she yanked back and cupped his face, looking at him to make sure he hadn't changed. Tears clung to her lashes, but she angrily blinked them back, fighting the sting. Her chest was tight, and she knew it would feel better if she let it out, but she already felt too vulnerable.

Puck tightened his arms around her. "Let it out, Sabrina," he said quietly, knowing how hard she was trying to hold the emotions back in. "I won't tell anyone."

She shook her head, fingers brushing over his cheeks. One hand moved so she could trace his lips with her thumb for a moment. Puck kissed the pad of her thumb when it touched his lips, before she bowed her head and closed her eyes, shuddering.

Puck cupped her chin and lifted her head, lowering his to kiss her firmly. If she wouldn't let herself let out the tears, then he'd help her find another outlet. Sabrina kissed him back immediately, a little more aggressive than usual. The thought of kissing Puck in the same way back when they'd been twelve was odd--because their kisses had completely evolved in three years. But still, she couldn't imagine kissing him any other way anymore.

Puck returned the kiss with just as much aggression, meeting Sabrina's full-force as he held her tightly. All of the worry and concern that had built up poured into the kiss, and he accepted what she sent back. For better or for worse he and Sabrina were together, and he would do whatever he had to do to make her feel safe.

When the kiss broke, Sabrina shuddered again, opening her eyes to look at him. She moved her hands from his cheeks, wiping at her eyes. "Sorry," she mumbled. "Really bad dream."

"Want to talk about it?" Puck asked quietly. "Or not think about it?" Her hands were warm against his skin.

"Not think about it," she said automatically. "Not think about it _ever."_

Puck nodded, and reached up to cover one of her hands with his own. "Then we won't talk about it anymore," he said firmly.

"I want to go check on Daphne," Sabrina said, swallowing. She couldn't bring herself to say 'and Red'.

"Okay." Puck moved to stand, bringing Sabrina up with him. "How about I take you down?" He doubted she could navigate the rope ladder or the staircase at the moment.

Sabrina nodded and hugged him again, still trembling. She didn't say anything as Puck lifted her into his arms and carried her over to the edge of the tree house. He extended his wings and jumped into the air - and then hovered there with a grin on his face, not heading for the ground.

After a moment, Sabrina looked up, frowning. "Puck? Are you lost or something?"

"Nope," Puck replied, his eyes on the ground. "Just lining it up right." He flitted a little over to one side, adjusting his position. Then he kissed her temple. "Love you," he said - and instantly let go of her, dropping her down toward the trampoline below with the largest grin ever on his face.

Sabrina only had a split second to realize what had happened before she screamed at the top of her lungs, flailing all the way down. The first bounce took her almost as high as she'd been when he dropped her. It also left a bruise on her butt. The second bounce wasn't as bad, and by the third, she'd stopped screaming in terror. By the fourth, however, she was screaming bloody murder up at Puck.

Puck floated down to her, arms wrapped around his stomach while he laughed his ass off. He couldn't even form words to taunt or give encouragement - there was something not at all threatening about Sabrina cussing him out as she bounced up and down.

"YOU ARE AN ASSHOLE CASSEROLE!" she shouted as soon as she could stop bouncing. "YOU ARE MADE OF JACKASS!"

She struggled to get off the trampoline, noting that she'd scared poor Celeste away. The pony had come by at their voices, and was now sufficiently spooked. Puck stood next to the edge of the trampoline, and grinned. "That was awesome," he said. "You should do that more often. It's not dangerous, see?"

With a wordless growl, she got down from the trampoline and stalked all the way to the door, slamming it behind her. Puck didn't wipe the cocky grin from his face as he headed after her, calling an apology to Celeste. He'd have Sabrina kissing him again in no time.

***.*.*.*.***

Sabrina paused in the doorway of the kitchen, an unreadable look on her face. Kerdy and Daphne had gotten there about twenty minutes prior, and were snacking on some cookies. That wasn't what had stopped her--Red was also in the room.

The other girl was sitting with Daphne, smiling tentatively and nodding along with Daphne's story. Kerdy was pouring them some milk, grinning at Daphne's re-telling of her one-on-one match from their class. Daphne paused in her story to reach for another cookie when she suddenly caught sight of her sister in the doorway.

Her eyes lit up. "Hey, Sabrina!" she said cheerfully. "Did you come to have cookies, too?"

"Um... No," Sabrina shook her head. "Not really hungry. When did you get back from Snow's class?"

"Twenty minutes ago," Daphne said with a smile. "Kerdy came back with me." She looked at Kerdy brightly, then turned back to her sister. "Didn't you hear us come in?"

"Nah, we were preoccupied," Puck said, looking over Sabrina's shoulder into the room.

Kerdy smirked, making Sabrina scowl. "I was _asleep, _Kerdy._"_

"That just makes it even more wrong," he said cheerfully.

"Shut up, Kerdy," Sabrina grumbled.

Daphne looked a little confused. "Why is it wrong?" she asked in bewilderment.

"You want to explain that one, Kerdy?" Puck teased.

Kerdy groaned. "How about not, okay? So what are you two up to?"

Sabrina headed to the fridge and got some juice, glancing over at Red. In the same moment, Red looked over, then quickly smiled and turned away.

"Just hanging around," Puck replied, walking over and snagging a cookie. "I was copying Sabrina's notes for awhile."

"Where's Cory?" Sabrina asked, glancing to Daphne. She couldn't stop herself from feeling unnerved at Red's smile. She'd warmed up to the girl a lot in a year, but now she felt like any moment, the girl would turn psycho and kill them all. It was like all her progress in trusting Red had simply vanished.

_'Just a dream,' _she tried to remind herself. _'Don't be rash.'_

"Your mom has him," Red said softly. "They went out."

"And Dad's still at work, and I'm not sure where Granny is," Daphne said, shoving more cookies into her mouth. "Elvis is with her though, I think."

"Hey, marshmallow, you better watch it or you'll choke," Puck said - right before he stuffed his mouth with cookies, too.

Sabrina opened her mouth to lecture both of them, only to simply stare as a giant shimmering portal opened up right behind Kerdy.

"What's up?" Kerdy asked, looking to Sabrina in confusion. She could only point and stare.

The portal itself was about ten feet high and four feet wide. It swirled with color like an aurora borealis, mostly pastel with a silver base.

Daphne turned to look at Kerdy, and Puck's eyes went wide. Both of them stared at the portal and only had the presence of mind to swallow their cookies before their jaws dropped. "K-Kerdy..." Daphne pointed.

Slowly, the blonde boy turned to see what the fuss was about. His eyes went very wide when something shiny and silver came out. The sword was right at the tip of his throat when the man holding it came out.

His eyes were a piercing blue color, black hair thick and wavy. Everything about him was handsome and princely--except for the jagged scar that ran from hairline to chin, ruining his left eye. It continued down his neck as well, branching into a much larger scar. The rest of it was hidden by his armor—thick leather forming a tunic over his muscular body, with silver metal plates covering his vital areas. He looked like he'd stepped out of a medieval battlefield.

Sabrina moved closer to Puck, grabbing Daphne's hand with wide eyes. She considered helping Red, but decided the girl was far enough away.

"Kerdy...!" Daphne gasped, her voice pitching when she saw the tip of that sword against Kerdy's throat. She squeezed Sabrina's hand tight enough to hurt.

"Whoa...awesome sword," Puck said, his eyes wide. "But could you move it away from his throat?"

The man looked to Puck, eyes narrowing. He removed the sword from Kerdy's throat... Only to suddenly lunge, swinging it at Puck.

The sudden rush of weakness and fatigue spread through Puck like a poison. It was staggering, and it weakened him before it came close. Puck's eyes widened and he let out a gasp, unable to defend himself as the weakness hit him. He staggered back, going suddenly pale. All he could see was the gleaming silver of the blade.

"Puck!" Sabrina threw herself in front of him, grabbing the plate of cookies and using it as a shield. At the same moment Kerdy lunged, grabbing Daphne and pulling her away from the fray, the sword shattered the mere ceramic plate. The blade caught Sabrina in the shoulder, tearing in immediately.

"You bastard!" Puck cried when he saw the blade hit Sabrina in the shoulder. "Sabrina, move!" He knew that if she tried to defend him, she might get hurt worse—and he was too weak to move her. He had fallen to his knees right after Sabrina had taken the hit.

"Out of my way, kid!" The man growled, pulling his sword back rather than slice her arm off. "Don't defend him! You must be a Grimm, and I have no desire to end your life!"

"Go to hell, you psycho!" Sabrina cried, ignoring Puck and grabbing the chair nearest to her with her right hand. She held it in front of her with a wince, not even seeing how much blood was seeping from her wound.

"Who are you?" Daphne cried, clutching at Kerdy as she stared at Sabrina and Puck in horror. Puck looked like he could barely move, and Kerdy was keeping her and Red away from the fight. "Why are you doing this?"

"Kerdy, get them out of here," Puck said, meaning Red and Daphne both. He felt dizzy - what the hell had happened to him?

The man ignored them, advancing on Sabrina. "You don't need to die, kid--but if I have to go through you to get to him, I will."

"Try it, scar-face," Sabrina hissed.

His eyes darkened. "Fitting that you would call me such a name, when you defend the one who gave this scar to me!"

He sliced at her, cutting three of the chair legs clean off.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about, leave her alone!" Puck cried, knowing full well that Sabrina wouldn't move out of the way, even if the next attack would be the one that killed her.

"PAPA!" Red cried at the top of her lungs, eyes wide with fear. She didn't know where Mr. Canis was, but she wanted him to come help now. Even though Kerdy had grabbed onto her as well, and was backing away with them, she was petrified.

The doorway was suddenly filled with one person's presence - Mr. Canis stood there with blazing eyes, hearing Red's voice and coming as fast as he could.

"Drop the sword," Mr. Canis said with a growl, moving towards the man. "Now."

"I don't know who the hell you are," the man hissed. "But I won't hesitate to kill you too."

"You can try," Mr. Canis said with a snarl.

"Papa, Sabrina's bleeding!" Red cried, as if Mr. Canis wouldn't see it.

"Please, stop!" Daphne said tearfully. "Don't hurt Sabrina or Puck anymore - please! I know you aren't evil, so please don't do this!" She could see it, even, the white and red swirling in his aura. He was utterly honest - it was fury that drove him, not evil. But that fury was immense.

"Not evil my ass!" Sabrina snapped. She looked down at her shoulder suddenly, then blinked. Her entire arm was stained red, and she felt very faint.

"Who are you?" Kerdy demanded, pushing Daphne behind him just in case.

"My name is Will Charming," Will said, glaring at Kerdy, and then back at Mr. Canis. "And I came to this time to kill The Heartless."

"Will Charming?" Daphne whispered, staring at him. He looked nothing like William.

"You're Charming like I'm the president of the United States," Puck said, looking a little pale. "And what the heck is the Heartless? And what do you mean 'this time'?"

Mr. Canis moved to Sabrina's side. "Get a towel to wrap around that," he said quietly to her. He'd stand between this man and Puck if needed.

Sabrina didn't move, standing her ground. She didn't want to take any chances. "Is that sword made of iron?" she asked, gritting her teeth. She'd seen Puck react in a similar way during training. Her sword was only laced with traces of iron, and she never hit his skin with it.

"Pure iron, just like my armor," Will hissed at her. "Made especially to kill the King of Villains."

"Well you have the wrong king, so kiss my ass!" Sabrina taunted.

'_Iron?' _Puck shuddered. No wonder he was in such pain. And he felt so damn helpless!

Will lunged again, bringing his sword down at Mr. Canis first. Mr. Canis' arms seemed to ripple with muscle as strength poured into him. He lunged as the sword started to come down, dodging to one side and seizing Will's arm in a grasp so tight, arm and sword would not budge further.

"Drop the sword, boy," Mr. Canis snarled.

Will winced in pain, honestly startled. "Let go of me! You'll thank me later if I get rid of him now!"

"I don't think so," Mr. Canis said, tightening his grip on Will's arm.

Sabrina groaned, suddenly sinking to her knees and letting go of the chair.

"Stay back," Kerdy said, gently pushing Daphne closer to Red. He grabbed a towel off the counter and hurried to Sabrina, pressing it into her wound. She yelped in pain, but he didn't let her stop him. Daphne reached for Red and gripped her hand tightly, her eyes wide as she stared at the blood staining the towel.

Puck managed to drag himself towards Sabrina and Kerdy. It was easier to breathe with Mr. Canis holding the sword away, but he was still having difficulties.

"He stepped out of a portal," Sabrina said, voice strained. "What should we do with him?" She winced again, feeling ready to throw up--but she held it back.

"We're going to find out exactly who he is, and where he came from," Mr. Canis replied. Since Will wasn't giving up the sword, Mr. Canis reached out and grasped the hilt to pull it from his hand, disarming him with superior strength.

"FINE!" Will snapped. "Let me go. I have no business with the Villain King if I can get to The Heartless first!"

"Why do you keep calling me the Villain King?" Puck demanded. "And what the hell is The Heartless?"

Mr. Canis made no move to release Will as he continued to disarm him – that meant the rest of his metal armor, too. He had no plans to let the man roam free - not until he knew what this Heartless thing being mentioned was.

"Daphne," Mr. Canis said, holding the hilt of the sword out to her, "take this into the other room. Red, collect the armor and move it as well."

Daphne and Red nodded. Daphne didn't seem to like touching the weapon, being careful as she took it, but rushed it out of the kitchen as quickly as she could. Red followed a moment later with an armful of metal. Within moments Puck was looking much healthier, as the iron was taken out of range.

Daphne came hurrying back in, Red a few steps behind her. "I hid the sword," she said, just in case Will somehow got free.

Will's eyes had followed the girls, narrowed, and when they came back into the room, he looked to Mr. Canis.

"Red Riding Hood is over there," Will hissed. "She'll lead me to the Heartless!"

Red shrank against the table, staring up at him with wide eyes and shaking her head. She reached for Daphne's hand.

"Good." Mr. Canis answered Daphne, before he lowered Will's arm, and glared at him. "What do you mean, she'll lead you?"

"All I know is that Red Riding Hood is the key to finding the Heartless!" Will shook his head. "I don't know much else about this time, most of the records were lost, and only a handful of Everafters survived."

"You fruitcup," Sabrina snapped. "What is wrong in your head?"

"A lot of things I think," Puck muttered as he got to his feet. He glanced over at Sabrina's arm, and his eyes darkened.

"The wound isn't as deep as we thought," Kerdy murmured. "But you'll probably need stitches."

"Perfect," Sabrina snapped.

Mr. Canis frowned. He'd considered Will's actions and words, and came to the safest and most reasonable conclusion. "I have a feeling this is going to be a long explanation," he said. "We'd better get Sabrina to the hospital to take care of those stitches, and then have everyone gather."

He glared at Will. "You're coming with us."

Will fell silent, but he didn't protest.

***.*.*.*.***

A little over an hour later, Sabrina sported a fresh set of stitches, and everyone had been contacted concerning the meeting. Once Sabrina was pronounced good to go by the doctor, Mr. Canis loaded everyone back into the car and headed for William's mansion. It had been decided that everyone should meet there - first, because it was larger than Relda's, and second because Will's sword wasn't hidden there. The last thing Puck wanted was to sit down on a couch cushion and find out he'd sat down on an iron weapon.

By the time they got there, everyone else had already arrived. Snow stood with Veronica, her one-year-old daughter Cassia in her arms, looking very concerned as she spoke quietly with the other woman. Henry had left work early to come, citing a family emergency, and had arrived shortly before - Jake and Briar were there as well. Ever since Briar had married Jake and officially become a Grimm, she was adamant about being included in all family situations and emergencies. Relda and Elvis were there as well, having been out on a walk together earlier, only to return and find an empty house with a note from Daphne saying they'd taken Sabrina to the hospital, as well as a message on the answering machine from Puck explaining where they were all going to meet and to watch out for evil swords.

Elvis jumped to his feet and ran towards Daphne and Red when they got there, running between William's legs to do it, and Relda hurried to Sabrina. _"Oh, liebling," _she said. "Come on, let's get you sitting down." She glanced over at Will - Mr. Canis still had him firmly by the arm, and he was glaring at him. He didn't take kindly to the fact that Will had drawn a sword on Puck, injured Sabrina to the point of needing to go to the hospital, and seemed to want to involve Red in whatever he was plotting in some way. Only a threat to Daphne or Cory would have made Mr. Canis any more furious.

Veronica's shoulder-length hair was tied back in a ponytail. She was dressed casually, since she simply worked part time in a local retail store for discounts and extra money. She shifted Cory on her hip, looking to Sabrina in concern. "Sabrina, are you okay?"

"Some idiot tried to kill me and we're all in danger. Sounds normal to me," Sabrina responded sarcastically, moving closer to Puck. He'd held her hand during the stitches (griping about using needles and thread to fix a wound) and stroked her knuckles with his thumb to keep her calm. That and the small dose of morphine she'd gotten had kept her pretty happy up until they got to the meeting.

Will Charming was no longer trying to escape or get free--he was convinced if they listened, they would understand. He didn't protest Mr. Canis' attitude, but he was clearly displeased at not having his sword.

"Woman, you keep your little monster away from my princess," William snapped suddenly.

"William, I swear to god, I will slap you in front of everyone," Veronica snapped right back.

Cory didn't seem to mind or notice them, giggling and grasping at Cassia's chubby little hand. He blew her a spit-bubble. Cassia giggled in return, clearly not of the opinion that Cory was a monster. She beamed at him, her blue eyes bright. Her short black hair fell in waves around her face, and she squeezed Cory's hand and kicked her feet happily.

"Oh, she's fine," Snow said, down at her daughter. "See, dear? She's happy." Truly, no one could look at Cassia's face and think she was a sad baby at all.

"She's adorable," Kerdy offered, smiling.

William scowled and reached for the sword he'd brought. "Look away, boy."

"For goodness sake, sir, she's a baby!" Kerdy yelped.

"That's not stopping you though, is it?" William responded, glancing to Daphne.

Kerdy turned red, looking like he might want to run away and cry.

"Oh leave the kid alone," Jake shook his head while they got seated. Mr. Canis released Will when they got to the table - he was confident that if Will tried to run for it, he'd be able to catch him before he got out of the house. Sabrina leaned her head on the table a bit, scowling, but not interrupting as Jake continued. "We need to know what this 'Will Charming' person has to say."

"He's no relation of mine," William insisted, sitting beside Snow at the table and glaring at Cory. The little boy blinked owlishly at William, then giggled and blew another spit-bubble at Cassia. Cassia clapped her hands, beaming at Cory and bouncing a little. Then she looked at her father and gave him an adorable look. It made William's anger falter. He could deny her nothing.

"He came through a portal," Puck said, glaring at Will as he sat beside Sabrina, still holding her hand, "and it sounds like he thinks he's from a different time. I think he's delusional."

"All right," Henry said, looking at him. "Let's hear everything."

Will sighed, looking to William, then Cassia. "My name is Will Charming," he said. "I'm from the future. I'm a descendant of William and Snow Charming."

"I've heard stranger things," William said cautiously. "How far in the future?"

"Is Cassia your mother?" Kerdy asked curiously.

"I don't know who she is," Will shook his head. "She might have been my father's sister or something. I doubt she survived the Heartless' rise to power. As for how far into the future, I estimate around a hundred and fifty years."

William narrowed his eyes. There was no chance he would allow anything rising to anything that would endanger his baby. "Explain the Heartless."

Sighing, Will looked to Puck with malice. "I don't know who the Heartless is. She was an Everafter who had the power to destroy the world. She came into power in this era. There's no way to kill her in my time. That's why I came here."

"Right, and let me guess, robots rule the world and you were sent here by your son in the future, only you don't know he's your son and it makes no sense if time's not on a loop," Sabrina muttered. "We all know the plot to Terminator--not now Daphne," she interrupted before Daphne could answer that she didn't.

"S'okay," Kerdy murmured, leaning down to Daphne a bit. "I don't know what that is either."

Daphne closed her mouth and looked less confused and more at ease. If Kerdy didn't know what it was, then she wasn't going to worry about it.

"So you came here to find this Heartless person and somehow, decided Poison-And-Skewer-Puck would be a better game?" Puck asked acidly. "I prefer Toss-the-Kerdy myself."

"Shut up," Kerdy muttered. "Now is not the time, Puck."

"Hold your tongue," Will exploded, stepping up and slamming his fist on the table. It made almost everyone jump. "You're just as guilty as The Heartless!"

"Why do you keep blaming stuff on Puck?" Sabrina demanded.

"Because this 'Puck' you keep trying to defend is a murderer and a coward," Will said coldly. "Maybe not today, but in the future."

Veronica glanced at Henry. Cory was starting to whimper at the loud voices. "Jake, Briar, can you take the kids to the other room?"

"Sure," Jake said. "Fill us in later." He took Cory, while Cassia was handed over to Briar.

"Come here, sweetie," Briar said, taking Cassia gently and holding her. Cassia snuggled against Briar and stuck her thumb in her mouth.

Once Jake and Briar had gone, Puck glared at Will. "See, now I know you're lying," he said. "I'm many things, but a murderer and a coward I am not."

"Those are some pretty strong accusations you're making," Henry agreed with a frown. He trusted Puck with his daughter—so he couldn't entertain the idea of Puck doing anything Will was accusing.

"Really?" Will ignored Henry and looked straight at Puck. "Because instead of following through with a plan devised to kill the Heartless, you betrayed everyone to save your own life and get more power. The last known act you were said to have done to spare your life was murder Sabrina Grimm," Will said harshly.

Really, there were only a few things that could have made the entire table go silent. That was one of them. And then all at once, people began talking, either denying or calling Will crazy. Sabrina was completely speechless and confused, sitting up fully in her chair. Only two people had remained silent—the two people Will had mentioned.

Puck's cheeks had flushed with anger. The mere thought that he could do such a thing... _'This guy has to be completely insane. Insane!' _he couldn't even voice it, too furious to speak.

"Puck would never do something like that!" Daphne said, voice rising above others, her eyes wide as she shook her head.

"Enough!" Henry said, trying to quiet everyone down so that they could hear, for at the moment he could hardly make out conversation. He looked at Will when everyone reluctantly quieted. "What reason do you have for us to believe you?"

"I could care less if any of you believe me," Will said coldly. "I'm changing the future with or without your help."

"You have to understand that your accusations are so radical... It's hard to believe you at all," Veronica said. "Puck is in love with Sabrina. He would never kill her."

"Then explain how he gave me this scar," Will motioned to his face and neck. "Well over a hundred years after the last Grimm died?"

"What do you mean, over a hundred years after the last Grimm died?" Relda asked. It wasn't that she was surprised by the one hundred year mark - Puck was immortal, after all. What surprised her was the statement of the last Grimm dying. Because that wasn't supposed to happen to her family.

Will sat back down, closing his eyes for a moment. "Some time soon, in this decade, almost everyone at this table will be gone. Very few people who lived in Ferryport Landing survived once the Heartless came into power. The first ones to die were the Everafters and the Grimms. From the stories that were handed down, Relda, Veronica, Henry, Jacob, Briar, and Cory Grimm were the first Grimms to die."

Veronica shuddered and reached for Henry's hand. It was hard to disbelieve Will when he spoke with such sadness—and she could accept that she might be one of the first ones to die… But her baby? She hadn't been able to protect Cory? Who would kill a baby?

"Hold on," Sabrina interrupted, noticing the look on her mother's face. Veronica clearly believed Will, but she didn't. "You keep saying all of this stuff, but you're not giving us proof that you are who you say you are."

Will reached under his armor, pulling out a cord. Dangling from the end of the frayed string was a pure white stone. The sight made Kerdy stiffen, hand going to his throat. Sabrina stiffened as well. She spent enough time around Kerdy to recognize it instantly. Daphne let out a soft cry of surprise before she could stop herself. She stared at the stone, and swallowed hard. "Where...where did you get that from?" It had to be a different one...right? It was a coincidence that it looked like the stone that she'd given Kerdy for Christmas.

Right? Just a coincidence.

"....where the hell did you get that?" Puck asked, pretty much echoing Daphne, recognizing it as well and not bothering to censor himself.

Even Snow's eyes widened - having spent so much time with Daphne and Kerdy, she recognized the stone as well. But the cord was so frayed… as if it were so very, very old.

"It doesn't matter," Will said, narrowing his eyes for a moment. "But you believe me now, don't you?"

Sabrina took a deep breath. Her head felt so clear now... She looked away from the necklace. "You said I was murdered... When?"

"If you're Sabrina Grimm… You died right before the barrier of Ferryport Landing was destroyed. The destruction was the only reason anyone in this place survived as long as they did," Will answered. "It gave them a chance to run."

"What happened to Daphne?" Sabrina demanded, beating her mother to it.

"Daphne Grimm? Murdered by the Villain King Puck, along with her son."

Kerdy clenched both of his fists tightly—from the mention of Daphne being hurt, as well as having a son. With him? With someone else? He wasn't sure he wanted the answer.

"You can't be serious," Henry said, as Relda's eyes widened. Mr. Canis let out a low growl at the implications.

Daphne bit her lip hard, staring at Will. It couldn't be true, it just couldn't be. It couldn't be real. She repeated it to herself over and over.

"You're lying," Puck said vehemently. "And stop calling me that." Every muscle in his body was tense.

Sabrina put her hand on Puck's, clutching it tightly. "You're wrong," she said, voice steady. "Puck would never hurt me, or Daphne."

Will looked her in the eye, and despite herself, she shuddered under his gaze. "There was nothing left of you when he destroyed you. At least with the others, they were able to be buried. Well, except for Cory Grimm."

"Shut up," Sabrina whispered.

Veronica touched Henry's arm, then hurried from the room. She didn't want to be away from her baby any longer, not with the things Will was saying. She needed Cory in her arms, safe and real. Henry didn't stop his wife - a part of him wanted to rush after her, too, but he felt that he needed to hear what else Will had to say.

"How can you say Puck would do these things?" Daphne asked tearfully. "He never would. He loves Sabrina too much, and he'd never hurt me...or Cory... or anyone!"

"He's not the same person you know now," Will said harshly.

"Let's focus on this Heartless you keep bringing up," William interrupted, before Sabrina could finish opening her mouth. "You said they're the key to all of this destruction, didn't you?"

"More or less," Will said, looking to his ancestor quietly. "Perhaps if she doesn't come into power, Villain King Puck won't betray the Grimms."

"Princess," Kerdy said softly to Daphne. "Was he lying?" He trusted Daphne unconditionally about her aura-sight. She would know if Will was lying.

Daphne trembled. "I...he's not lying," she whispered. "I can see his aura and...He's really not lying." Which could mean he just thought he was telling the truth - or that he really was.

"Do you have any idea who this Heartless is?" Relda asked, trying not to listen to Daphne's words. "I'm familiar with the majority of the Everafters, but I've never heard of her."

"No idea," Will whispered, looking to the table. "Anyone who knew her is dead. I only know what my parents told me before she murdered them. Very few people have survived in my time. Living at all was considered against her rules. Everyone was an outlaw. For years, my family evaded her rule... But she found us eventually."

"Is it Red Riding Hood?" Sabrina asked suddenly, sounding almost hopeful.

Red looked up, startled. She'd been scooting closer to Mr. Canis, but now she looked stricken. "I don't want to hurt anyone!"

"But what if you can't help it?" Sabrina looked to her. She knew she was being influenced by her dream, but it made perfect sense!

"I won't!" Red cried.

Mr. Canis reached out and put his arm around Red's shoulders. "If it were Red," he said, looking at Sabrina, "then why would Will say that she would lead him to the Heartless?" He turned to Will. "What reason was there for you to say that?"

"Because that's all anyone remembers," Will looked to Mr. Canis with narrow eyes. "Finding Red Riding Hood would be the key to finding the Heartless. It could be her."

Red cringed. "I never meant to hurt anyone!" she cried. "I won't do it anymore, I promise!"

"But it might be her," Sabrina pressed. "And she is an Everafter!"

William had been pretty quiet during the entire meeting, all things considered. Now he was looking to Sabrina. "I highly doubt it would be Red Riding Hood, given the circumstances. Is this assumption because of what he says, or because she's an Everafter?"

"How about both?" Sabrina asked crossly, turning to William. "I don't think I asked your opinion, either."

"Sabrina!" Relda said, shocked. It had been quite awhile since she'd spoken in such a manner.

"Just because Red's an Everafter doesn't mean that she has to be the Heartless," Daphne said, not wanting her sister to jump to conclusions with no proof. "And...And why would Puck do the things that Will says he did if Red were the Heartless?"

"I wouldn't do any of this at all," Puck muttered angrily, trying not to let Sabrina's reasoning get to him.

"That's the part that doesn't make sense," Snow said softly, putting her hand on William's arm. "Puck's role. We know him. It just...it simply isn't like him."

"There's nothing in this world that would make Puck kill me," Sabrina said firmly. "He'd have to be mind controlled or manipulated or crazy."

"He knew full well what he was doing!" Will exploded. "He and the Heartless follow the same Cree! Mortals are fragile playthings, and only they should last forever! He betrayed everyone for power and life. And because he became her loyal general, she spared him."

Puck gripped Sabrina's hand tightly, glaring full force at Will. "I'd never betray Sabrina," he asked coldly. "Whoever this Heartless is, there isn't a thing on this planet that would make me betray Sabrina for them. _Nothing." _His eyes were hard. "You've got your information screwed up."

Will's eyes met Puck's, cold and much older than the face they belonged to. There was nothing dishonest or doubtful about him. "In the future," he said quietly. "You murder more people than she does. Nothing more than a puppet. You may not think it sounds good now, but_ something _made you change sides. _Something _convinced you to kill Sabrina Grimm. From what I hear, Daphne Grimm believed in you until the end. Hard for me to fathom, considering you murdered her husband, and then years later, her son. They say she had to watch with the boy, but there was some rose or trinket that shattered to let her know the father was never coming home."

Kerdy's eyes slowly got wider and wider. A shudder ran through him as everyone around the table processed this in confusion. Sabrina wasn't confused, though. Daphne took great care of the rose Kerdy had given her, always proudly displaying it or watching the colors. It seemed to bloom more often if Kerdy was around, and if he didn't stay long, it would droop. He had told her if she died, it would wilt... But what if he died?

Daphne sniffled softly, not liking anything that she was hearing. How did he know so much? How did he know about the rose that Kerdy had given her…? And have Kerdy's stone... ?

She wanted everything that she was hearing to be lies, but the whiteness of his aura proved otherwise. He wasn't lying. A tear slipped down her cheek.

Puck stared at Will, unable to find anymore words. No matter how much he protested Will just kept insisting. He didn't want to believe it, any of it. He didn't want to be told that he was the one who would destroy the Grimm family. It had to be _wrong. _

"....When is all of this supposed to start?" Henry said quietly, as Relda swallowed hard and Mr. Canis drew Red a little closer. "When does your history say that this is supposed to begin?" As much as everyone wanted to simply say Will was out of his mind and be done with it… If there was a chance it was real, they had to prepare for it.

As Kerdy suddenly pulled Daphne close and held her in silence, Will calculated the timeline in his mind. Everyone could practically see the wheels turning. Kerdy didn't even care anymore. He was sure that in the future, he and Daphne had found some form of happiness together. Except that it had been stolen away, and he had failed to protect her.

"I'm not sure on the exact day," Will admitted. "Or even year. It could be tomorrow, it could be in a few years. My great great great grandpa hasn't been born yet, so maybe I'm way off. All I know is it was this era. And Red Riding Hood will lead me to her."

"Why me?" Red whispered, trembling. "I don't want anyone else to use me for bad things... I... I'm not like that! Papa is helping me control the pain in my head, and I don't hate anyone!"

"As I said, few things from this era made it on record, other than the names of the people who died. One of the only pieces of information we have on The Heartless is that her rise to power started when Red Riding Hood led the Scarlet Hand to her. Or when Red Riding Hood joined the Scarlet Hand. I don't know," Will shook his head.

"I won't!" Red cried.

Sabrina averted her gaze.

Daphne clutched Kerdy's shirt, her sniffling muffled but still audible.

"Red has no connections to the Scarlet Hand anymore," Relda said with a shake of her head. "She'd completely renounced them."

Mr. Canis squeezed Red's shoulders gently, looking down at her. He had faith that she didn't want anything like that to occur.

Snow took a deep breath. "It sounds to me like we just...don't have enough information about what happens," she said softly.

"I know enough," Will snapped. "Enough to make sure the horrors of my life are never repeated.

"So what's your solution? Find this Heartless person before they rise to power and kill them?"

"Yes," Will said with a nod. "That is exactly what I plan to do. I don't care who it is."

His eyes narrowed at Red. "Or if they're innocent of any crime in this time. I will not let it happen again."

Red whimpered and hid her face against Mr. Canis' arm, closing her eyes tight as Mr. Canis let out a growl, glaring fiercely at Will.

"You're..." Sabrina shook her head. "You're out of your mind," she whispered. "This just can't be real."

Puck squeezed Sabrina's hand, his thumb brushing her knuckles as he stared at Will. He reinforced his refusal to believe it. Nothing in the world would make him kill Sabrina, or her family.

Henry stood up from his seat and looked at Will. "While I understand your desire to stop those things from happening," he said, "I will not let you kill an innocent person!"

Will narrowed his eyes at Henry and reached into his pocket, producing a worn leather diary. He tossed it to Henry without hesitation. "This was with the necklace. Passed down through my family as a reminder, entrusted to us by the second to last surviving Grimm before his death. Somewhere in the beginning, he writes about how his mother never got over seeing her baby brother ripped to shreds by the monster."

Sabrina clutched Puck's hand tighter, imagining a faceless woman hurting her defenseless baby brother. A shudder ripped through her, and from the corner of her eye, she saw Kerdy tightening his arms around Daphne.

Henry looked at the diary for a moment, and then took it quietly. With a hand steady only by sheer willpower, he opened it to the first page. He had barely finished the first paragraph before he decided to read it out loud.

_"Sometimes, I think mother still wishes we could help the Heartless. She tells me stories about Villain King Puck, but she said he used to be a Trickster back then. He used to prank mother and my Aunt Sabrina a lot. I wish I could have met Aunt Sabrina. Mother says I have a stubborn streak like her. I bet she would understand me, and why I don't think we can trust The Heartless, or Villain King Puck._

_Mother says she can see auras. It started when Aunt Sabrina was almost killed by some Everafters who wanted to leave the barrier. Now, mother can manipulate auras to help hide us. I wish I had a special power. But I won't tell mother. She gets sad, and thinks about Uncle Cory._

_The Heartless killed him when he was a baby. Daddy told me that mother saw it, and never recovered. I don't know what it'd be like to see that. Daddy said mother is so pure of heart and sweet, that the sight drove her over the edge in some ways. I'm not sure what it means... But maybe that's why she wants to believe everyone can be saved._

_I don't think everyone can be saved. I asked Mr. Charming, and he said Iron can hurt faerie-types. I wonder if Iron will hurt the Villain King Puck."_

Will cut him off. "That's the only known mention of a weakness--without that diary, none of us would have known to have iron. I haven't read it in ages, but I don't need to anymore."

Sabrina shuddered again and again, trying to block out the words. All she could see in her mind were the images from her dreams. All of her family and friends, dead... Herself dead as well... Staring up at Red while the girl apologized. Maybe Will was right?

Puck turned to Sabrina suddenly and pulled her into his arms, much the way Kerdy was holding Daphne._ 'I won't,'_ he thought. _'I'll never... I can't hurt her.'_

Henry stared down at the diary silently, feeling numb. The diary had to have been written by his future grandson - Daphne's child. The entire thing felt surreal. Everafters were one thing...but time travel? It was still hard to take in.

"How are we supposed to figure out who she is?" Snow asked softly.

Sabrina clutched at Puck, then turned to look at Snow. "In my dreams, it's Red," she said quietly. "I don't want to believe Red is capable, but it has to be her!"

"Are you sure you don't want to believe it's Red?" William snapped, drawing Snow close to him. "You'd accuse Snow if it was more convenient!"

"We know it's an Everafter!" Sabrina snapped at William. Puck tightened his arms around her a little, and she welcomed the embrace. "And most of them still can't be trusted anyway! It could be Cassia for all I know, but my dreams indicate it's Red!"

"I won't," Red whispered again, trying to hide from Sabrina's accusations. "Papa, tell her I won't!"

Mr. Canis wrapped his arms around Red, comforting her as most people around the table comforted their loved ones, and looked at Sabrina. "That's enough, Sabrina," he said with an edge to his voice. "You don't have any actual proof." Dreams weren't enough. Dreams were not enough to warrant killing an innocent girl.

"Mr. Canis is right, Sabrina," Henry said seriously. "That's an accusation that no one wants to make, or hear, lightly."

"But I've been having dreams for over a year!" Sabrina cried. "And just this afternoon, the dream was more vivid than ever! I don't think she does it on purpose, but I do think it's her!"

Will looked to Sabrina, then to Red. His eyes flickered to Mr. Canis briefly. "While Daphne Grimm became a talented sorceress, the stories did indicate that Sabrina Grimm was infected with premonitions through her addiction to magic. Her dreams may be true. And if that's the case..."

His hand glowed, sword re-appearing in his hand. "Then Red Riding Hood is the one I must kill."

***.*.*.*.***

**A/N: **

**Sky: **Sorry if there are any massive typos or anything… Ayns didn't get a chance to look over it after I finished editing. :X Hopefully it won't take us nearly as long to get the next chapter out. This is after all, our favorite arc.

**Special thank you to our awesome reviewers: Schadenfreude62, Hypocritically Her, A CertainPeanutButterSandwich, Dramaqueenruling, obsessedwithbooks, Viva-Musica, Lumiere Nordiques, Trickster Queen464, Ascaisil, Grimmgirl667, JulzAndKate, grimmgirl, msjezzi-bella, MOlly, Squiggles(**teehee^^**), Dragonfly, curlscat, broken beyond repair, hihi!(**x20! Thanks for the review spam lol, glad you're enjoying it!**), bookreader123, Lara D, no one, Lyla Domae, Mystestar, chemicalsilver, ILoveGeorgeCooper, The 3rd Valkyrie, Grrrgirl1, DeDe, SweeneyToddLover26, Summergirl172, Zeorzia, Blue-Eyed-Lily, silent-entrance, Lara D(**again XD), **Misz. I dont have a name, **and **gothicgal000!**

***Sky's fingers die and burn off***

**ALSO! Don't forget to check out Masquerade and Shut Up, 2/8 one-shots written for reviewers who won our 'chapter 16 review game'! **


	21. Doubt

**EDIT: Sky: Re-Added scene skips.**

**A/N:**

**Sky: First of all, grats to one of our reviewers—someone correctly guessed just about _everything _in the plot, and messaged us rather than say it in a review and possibly ruin it for others. **You know who you are :D I hope you like seeing it play out.

Also FFnet isn't broken anymore! Yay! And as my final note…

**One of these days, Ayns and I are gonna kill each other. That's all I have to say XD**

**Ayns: **This is very true. But hopefully we'll wait until we're done with all of the joint works that we're planning to write and get published (and all of the fanfiction) too...

Oh wait. That'll probably be what's going to kill us!

Ahem. But we're still alive at this moment, and we haven't strangled each other yet, so let me go ahead and give you No Matter What, Chapter Twenty-One! Please enjoy this latest addition!

***.*.*.*.***

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter Twenty-One: Doubt_**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

Puck had started to tighten his arms around Sabrina at her protest, but the sudden appearance of the sword made him gasp and lose his hold on her, feeling his body instantly weaken.

"Papa!" Red's voice was terrified now.

Mr. Canis jumped to his feet, snarling at Will. "You will do no such thing!" he growled angrily, eyes flashing angrily. He put himself between Will and Red, fury lancing through him.

Will narrowed his eyes at Mr. Canis. "I said it before, old man. I'll go through you if I have to."

Sabrina grasped Puck, then helped him sit fully in his chair, standing up. "Put that thing away!" she snapped. "And... I'm _not _sure, okay? Don't just behead now and ask questions later!"

"I won't take chances!" Will snarled at her.

"Well we can't either!" Sabrina insisted. "I think it's Red, but I don't know, so don't kill her, jeez!"

A sword touched Will's neck, the sharp side barely touching his throat.

"Poorly named descendant or not, I will kill you if you threaten my citizens," William said calmly. "Now put that thing away."

Will growled, narrowing his eyes at William. "The Heartless will track your family down, you know. You, your wife, your daughter—all of my ancestors are dead, and all of them were murdered."

"Be that as it may, I learned the hard way that I can't simply take down every possible danger to protect my family without proof. We must proceed with caution. Understood, boy?" William asked, meeting Will's challenging gaze. They were very alike, but it was clear which one had more patience. There was no comparison; William was simply stronger.

Snow looked at William with such an expression of admiration that it would have made even the hardest hearted person blush. There were times when she simply found herself falling in love with him all over again - this was one of them. Even with all the danger the future held, his words and actions put her at ease and made her feel like everything would be alright. Relda stood up and put her hands on Red's shoulders, as Elvis nuzzled one of Red's hands to try and comfort her.

"William is right," Henry said with a nod. "We cannot simply let you go around killing anyone that you may _suspect_ of being the Heartless." He looked at Will with a frown on his face while Red gripped the back of the shirt Mr. Canis was wearing. Her hands were trembling, and it only strengthened Mr. Canis' resolve to keep her safe.

Daphne looked up a bit from Kerdy's chest, and her eyes widened when she saw Puck, since Will seemed to be detained for the moment from hurting anyone. "The sword," she said. "We have to get Puck away from it." Puck looked like he was going to be sick.

"That's it," Sabrina snapped, losing the little patience she had and stalking around the table. She grabbed the sword from Will as if she were taking a dangerous object away from a fussy child. He didn't stop her, still being held in place by William.

Sabrina headed to the nearest window, then tossed the sword as far as she could. It wasn't much—the damn thing was heavy—but it was far enough.

"Hey!" Will started to move forward. William's sword cut into his neck a little, making him stiffen again.

"There has to be a way to find out more before you act. And then, when we know who this Heartless person is, we will dispose of them if need be," William ordered, putting his sword away.

"It's not me..." Red's voice was tiny as she let go of the shirt and backed into Relda, one hand curling against Elvis and then clutching his collar for comfort. "I promise, I don't want to hurt anyone! That's not me anymore!"

Relda hugged Red. "We know, _liebling_," she said gently to the younger girl. "It will be all right." She simply couldn't believe that it was Red - Red was such a part of their family now, she wouldn't hurt anyone, especially not one of them.

A few moments later, the color returned to Puck's cheeks, and he looked at Sabrina. "Thanks," he said, not bothering to hide the grateful look on his face. He could show gratitude for that easily - he didn't like being poisoned.

Sabrina nodded to Puck, taking a deep breath. "Let's look at the facts we know. Will said he's like a hundred and fifty years past us, but the Heartless came into power sometime in this generation."

Will nodded, making Sabrina reach over to hold her wounded shoulder while she paced. She was thankful the cut wasn't deep, just bloody. "The Heartless killed who?"

"Most of the Everafters--from what I know, she started with the Scarlet Hand," Will answered. "And then she started killing the Grimms, and anyone who crossed her path. She didn't discriminate—anything living seemed to annoy or offend her, just for living. The Scarlet Hand just happened to be the first."

"And that's when you say Puck jumped ship?" Sabrina asked. "When the Heartless started killing Grimms?"

"Yes--to spare himself. The Heartless had so much power by then… He cowered in her presence, and then began following her orders. He killed Sabri--well, you, to prove his loyalty, and then helped the Heartless absorb the Blue Fairy. That was when the barrier exploded and some people were given a head start."

Puck shook his head in denial, just staring at Will. It was wrong. It was all wrong.

"Okay by the time the barrier blew up, how many Grimms were alive?" Sabrina asked, changing the subject just a bit. Off of Puck, and off of her supposed death at his hands.

"Just three, I think," Will frowned. "If I recall, Henry, Daphne, and Cory Grimm."

Sabrina paced more. Daphne swallowed hard, but looked at her sister. Sabrina was really good at figuring this sort of stuff out - Daphne was so upset at seeing Kerdy's necklace that she couldn't think logically at the moment.

Henry looked at Sabrina, as did Puck. "How long did they survive?" Henry asked. He couldn't think of the names as himself and the children he knew now - he had to think of them as separate people for the moment or he wouldn't be able to do this.

Will frowned thoughtfully. "Not long. Well, Daphne outlived Henr--you and Cory," he corrected, since Henry was the one who asked. "Daphne's talent with magic and auras kept her and a small group hidden for a while."

Kerdy kept his chair scooted as close to Daphne as possible. He kept an arm around her tightly, but he couldn't be relieved at the words. After all, Will had said that Daphne and her family were eventually tracked down and killed. Daphne leaned against Kerdy, grateful that he was there, her eyes going to him, then back to Sabrina.

Sabrina paused in her pacing, then looked over. "Charming and Snow lived though, right?"

"Yes, I think so--because their son hadn't been born by the time the Heartless destroyed the barrier," Will said, sitting back down.

"Where did everyone who escaped go?" Snow asked, looking at Will. "Did they scatter?" Knowing that she and William lived long enough to have a child didn't necessarily make her happy - not after hearing so many people would die.

"Scattered," Will answered quietly. "But the Heartless' wave of destruction wiped out most of the world's population. She had over a hundred years to just move from place to place, killing with her little pet," he shot a nasty glance at Puck. "My wife and I evaded her for over ten years with our daughter before she found us."

Puck narrowed his eyes at the word 'pet'. He was _not_.

Daphne looked at Will, and she bit her lip. "Your wife and daughter..." She didn't ask what happened to them. She had a bad feeling that she already knew.

Will looked to Daphne, his aura turning a sad, painful shade that was almost blue. "She killed them in front of me. My daughter saved my life, and I swore I would change the future for them."

"What does the Heartless look like?" Sabrina asked, suppressing a shudder.

"She has long black hair and blood red eyes," Will shuddered. "She's not sane, that's for sure. She speaks in broken phrases or riddles. Some say she was tortured into madness before her rise to power."

Sabrina couldn't help but shudder that time, looking to Puck. For all her talk, it was worrying her. She didn't know who it could be if it wasn't Red, and she didn't like that in Will's future, somehow Puck was the enemy. She didn't have to see auras to know that Will's life had been tragic, and his words were the truth. He had grown up in hell. And Puck…

She'd told him she hadn't wanted him to end his life after she'd died, but now she wasn't sure. She didn't want him to move on and find someone else, or join a crazy killer to avoid his own death.

Puck looked back at Sabrina, and then rose from his chair, walking over to her. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest, right there in front of everyone. To hell with embarrassment. Sabrina closed her eyes and leaned against Puck, trying to hide how freaked out she was. At that moment, Veronica came back into the room, only to pause and watch her daughter with Puck.

He closed his eyes. He didn't want to believe that he could do all of these things...and he didn't want to think that he was such a coward that he'd do something so horrible just to save his own skin.

He didn't want Sabrina to die.

"But you have no idea how long we have until the Heartless comes into power?" Kerdy asked softly, tearing his eyes away from his two friends.

"No," Will shook his head. "I couldn't find the exact day, or anything."

"And there's nothing on how it happens?" Henry asked. He looked over at Veronica, a silent question of whether or not Cory was okay in his eyes. Daphne looked at Veronica tearfully. A younger Daphne would have pulled away to hug her, but instead she now stayed near Kerdy.

Veronica gave a slight nod to Henry, walking over to Daphne despite the 'I'm mature now' signals she was getting. She was still small enough to be picked up, which is exactly what Veronica did. Daphne blushed, but once she was picked up, she turned into a spider monkey and wrapped herself around her mother.

"Nothing really," Will said quietly. "Except that Red Riding Hood was the key."

Red had been silent, but she spoke up again, shaking her head. "Not me," she whispered.

"Simply because she's the key doesn't mean she's the one," Mr. Canis said in a grave tone. He turned towards Red, and placed his hand on her shoulder. "There's too little information - we need to get it some other way."

"What else have your dreams been about, Sabrina Grimm?" Will asked.

Sabrina shivered in Puck's arms, not sure she liked the way Will addressed her. "I don't think it's important," she mumbled.

"It was important enough that you almost had Will attacking Red," William said irritably. "Out with it."

Kerdy stood, looking over at Sabrina in concern.

Puck felt Sabrina shivering, and tightened his arms around her. "I'm right here," he said quietly, offering her whatever support that he could give her.

"It's all right, Sabrina," Snow said gently. "If it's hard to say, just take it slow."

Henry and Relda both looked at Sabrina in concern - today was the first they'd heard of her having dreams like this.

Sabrina closed her eyes tightly, then opened them. "I just have weird dreams involving my addiction to magic, okay? It's usually just me by myself, running from... Well, whatever. I don't know. Red's always been in my dreams, usually standing over me and looking sad. This time, when I ran away, I found my way outside and everyone was dead. Everyone had a hole in their chest. Puck... He had his..." her voice came out strangled. "His lips were sewn shut and his eyes were gone," she said in a rushed breath. "And Red was there, she was the only one unharmed, and she kept saying she didn't mean for it to happen!"

Kerdy went pale at her words, shivering. Had -anyone- known? He looked around, but William's expression was impassive, Will looked pensive, and Veronica had pursed her lips. He glanced to the others.

"Sabrina...!" Daphne looked at her sister tearfully. How scared she must have been, having a nightmare like that and seeing...Daphne didn't even want to think about it.

Snow had closed her eyes, and Relda paled a touch. Her eyes were wide as she looked at her granddaughter. "Oh_ liebling," _she whispered, feeling tears prick her eyes. Sabrina had been having dreams like this, and she hadn't known?

Neither had Henry or Mr. Canis, and both of them looked grim. If Puck wasn't already holding Sabrina, Henry would have been right over there doing so. He clenched his fist as the thought of his daughter having to go through something like that.

Sabrina bit her lip, glancing up at Puck again, touching his cheek before he could voice his opinion on the description. He looked stunned, and she really couldn't blame him. She hadn't told him about the most recent one, after all. She'd kissed him until he'd dropped her onto the trampoline.

She had to remind herself his face was the way she liked it, or she'd start freaking out again. And her shoulder was throbbing--her painkillers were wearing off.

"The other dream, the one you had more often? What else?" Will asked quietly.

Puck felt the softness of her palm against his cheek and was suddenly reminded of the nightmare she'd had earlier - god, had it really been that same day? It felt like weeks had gone by. He kept one arm around her waist and covered her hand with his. Ignoring the fact that Will had asked her another question, he wanted her attention focused on her.

"See?" he murmured to her. "It's me, perfectly normal and utterly gorgeous." He gave her an encouraging grin. "Just the way you like me."

He didn't want her freaking out - it was the last thing he wanted.

Sabrina's laugh was sharp and more relieved than amused. Without removing her hand, she buried her face in his shoulder. "Right--and you're still an asshole casserole."

Then she turned her head to look at Will, not moving from the spot. "The other dream? What more do you want to know?"

"The exact details. You had it more than once, right?"

Sabrina sighed. "Lots. For over a year now."

"The same dream?" Henry asked in concern. "Easy time?" Why would Sabrina be having a reoccurring dream?

What Will had said couldn't be true, could it? That Sabrina had prophetic dreams?

"Do you want to sit down?" Puck asked quietly before she could continue her answer - he was concerned that she might be pushing herself. She _was_ hurt, after all. And she wasn't known for admitting her limits.

"Maybe," Sabrina admitted, shivering. "Okay."

She let Puck lead her to a chair, but instead of sitting next to him, she somehow ended up in his lap. She didn't care if anyone saw--she snuggled there. "I don't remember when I started having the dream. It was before Mr. Canis went on trial... I remember because when I saw Red in my dream, I didn't know it was her. I'd only ever seen her looking like a psycho at that point."

"How long was it before you knew that it was Red?" Henry asked in concern. He didn't protest Sabrina sitting in Puck's lap - she needed it, and this was far more serious than that. Daphne bit her lip, remembering how Sabrina had had such a hard time with Red. Was the dream because of that?

"Well, when I woke up from a fever and she was suddenly living with us, I recognized her," Sabrina scowled. "It shocked the crap out of me."

"But what was the dream about?" Will interrupted before Veronica or Henry could ask their concerned questions.

Sabrina sighed, looking at the table. "I'm by myself in a room made of stone, wearing a white dress. I'm covered in blood and there's a creepy voice telling me something about another taste. Anyway everything hurts a lot and I look at my reflection and I'm the one talking, and I have a wand..." She shook her head. "I think that's about it."

Puck brushed his lips against her cheek - he remembered when he'd heard about that dream, it had seriously freaked her out.

"How often do you have this dream?" Relda asked softly. "It is regular? Or random?"

"Random," Sabrina muttered, cheeks burning at all the attention on her.

"Sabrina?" Red whispered.

The (physically) older girl looked up. "Yeah, Red?"

"I didn't ever want to hurt anyone," Red said, voice shaking. "I don't know why I scare you, but I promise I won't do anything to hurt you or your family."

Sabrina sighed. "I know, Red. I'm sorry, but I just can't think of anyone who might be the Heartless other than you right now... It's just my dreams, that's all. We'll work on proving that it's not you, and find out who it is, okay?"

Red gave a small nod, sniffling in relief.

Veronica glanced to Snow. She didn't like the particular 'white dress covered in blood' aspect of the dream. White dresses usually depicted virgins, and the blood... Snow looked at Veronica as well, meeting her eyes. Her own were filled with anxiety and concern - the symbolism had not been lost on her.

And just as concerning was Sabrina's depiction of hearing the voice, and then discovering that it was her own reflection speaking the words. The phrasing was also alarming - one more taste? Of what? One thing Snow was certain of was that these were not normal dreams.

"It's all about your magic addiction, isn't it?" Kerdy asked quietly.

"That was my guess," Sabrina muttered. "I said that. What makes you think so, though?"

"Daphne mentioned you don't use the magic items much in training--you stopped around the time Red moved in. In your dream, are you wearing the bracelet I made you?" Kerdy asked.

Sabrina looked startled. Then she looked to her wrist. "Once or twice... But mostly, no."

"So it's probably just a regular craving dream," Will sighed. "The white dress could symbolize growing up, the blood could symbolize losing your virginity... The voice is like your conscience, and you don't know it's you until you're forced to look at your own reflection. It might not help us at all."

"I guess," Sabrina said softly, cheeks burning at the mention of her virginity. She was really glad the conversation was serious and not focused completely on that detail—that way no one would dwell on it.

"So there might not be anything bad about it?" Puck asked, a touch of hopefulness in his tone. As creepy as the dream was, if it didn't really mean anything dangerous, then it was a _little _better. Right?_ 'It better not mean anything dangerous...' _Especially if she wasn't wearing her bracelet, because that would just _suck_.

He also tried really hard not to think about the whole 'virginity' thing.

"Hopefully not," Veronica said softly.

Will shook his head. "The recent dream. You said everyone was missing their heart?"

"I guess," Sabrina looked uncomfortable. "I..." She looked at Puck, then back at Will. "I thought I said something out loud, so I went to ask Puck if I did-" she quickly looked to her parents. "I mean I fell asleep in the tree house, it's not like we were doing anything wrong."

"Go on," Veronica said, carrying Daphne to Henry as Kerdy sat back down.

"When I turned him to look at me... His eyes were gone and his lips were stitched shut. I freaked out and somehow ended up back in the stone-room. When I found my way out, I was just... In a wasteland. There were mutilated bodies everywhere. I thought I was alone, but a hand came down on my shoulder. I turned and saw my reflection again."

Sabrina paused, chewing her lip before she continued. "My reflection had blood coming from her eyes and a huge hole in her chest. She smiled at me--then I saw all the other bodies. Everyone I loved except for Puck had a big gaping hole in their chest. Puck... Came up behind me. His reflection wasn't hurt, but... He still was, ya know? He said he loved me, and then he was gone. I tripped, and when I looked up, Red was there, unharmed. She said she didn't mean for anything to happen. I asked why she didn't stop it and she said she couldn't. That's when I woke up."

Puck closed his eyes, biting back a growl. Why was Sabrina being put through this? _Why_?

Red cringed. Relda stroked Red's shoulders comfortingly, and Elvis licked her hand with a soft whimper. His tail thudded against the nearest chair. Daphne reached for Henry, climbing from her mother to her father, and Henry took her. He looked pained. "Is this the first time you've had that dream?" he asked. He wanted her to say yes. He didn't want her to have had to suffer such a dream more than once.

"Yeah... Today was the first time," Sabrina said quietly.

Will frowned. "It sounds like you're sensitive to the Heartless's approach. But that doesn't help us. Although the dream does imply that Puck will betray you."

"It does not," Sabrina snapped, cheeks flushing. "He's not going to. Your information is wrong."

Will rolled his eyes. "Feelings change, kid. Nothing lasts forever."

"That's not true!" Daphne burst out in protest before Puck could do anything more than glare at Will. "Sabrina and Puck have been through a lot and they're still together. They'll always be together!" She shook her head. "Whatever Puck does in the future, I won't believe that he stops loving Sabrina!" She pressed her face into Henry's shoulder. "I won't!"

"Even if he loved her, a hundred or so years after her death, it won't change what he did," Will said. "Can you deny that even if you love someone, sometimes you make choices that will hurt them?"

His eyes flickered to Snow.

Sabrina suddenly sat up straight. "What about Goldilocks?"

"Goldilocks?" William echoed, blinking.

Henry looked at Sabrina, unable to hide the startled expression on his face. "What about Goldilocks?" he asked in confusion, not sure why she'd suddenly brought up his former girlfriend. Snow, who had looked a little guilty when Will had glanced at her, now looked confused as well.

"Does anyone even know where she is?" Sabrina asked. "She came back to Ferryport Landing to wake up dad, and then vanished again. What if she's lonely, and something goes weird and she ends up being the Heartless?"

Will shook his head. "No."

"No?" Puck asked Will. "You've been saying all along you don't know who the Heartless is, what makes you so sure this time?"

"Goldilocks is dead," Will said. "Leave it at that."

Sabrina shrugged. "Okay... Guess not."

Henry flinched a little at Will's words. Though he no longer cared for her that way...he didn't want Goldilocks to die, either.

"It wasn't bad logic, though," Relda said. "Perhaps we could think of some others that it might be."

"I know all of the Everafters in Ferryport Landing," Snow said, sounding distressed. "I just can't think of who it might be."

"The Snow Queen or one of her daughters?" Sabrina suggested.

"All dead," Will said simply.

"Maybe we can eliminate them a little more easily," Puck said with a scowl. "Who _isn't_ dead in your future?"

"Everyone who knew the Heartless before her rise to power is dead," Will snapped. "But when it comes to certain ones, I know if they died or not. And the ones you mentioned are dead."

"But you don't know if Red died?" Sabrina asked.

"No--I don't know if or when she did."

Relda and Mr. Canis looked at each other. Neither wanted to believe that it was Red - they didn't want to think that she would do such a thing. But they knew so little about the Heartless - what if whoever it was had had no control over what she'd become?

"I don't like this," Daphne said softly. She glanced over at Kerdy, as if to make sure he was still there. "I don't like this at all."

Kerdy's expression was anxious. "I won't let anything happen to you, Daphne. I promise, okay?"

"Moth?" Sabrina offered. "Mustardseed wrote us last week. He's been keeping us up to date with all the balls Queen Titania's been throwing in New Faerie. Moth's still alive in faerie prison."

"No," Will shook his head. "The Heartless isn't weakened by Iron."

"But if she's as powerful as you say, she might be able to just... stop her weaknesses," Veronica murmured. "However, I highly doubt Moth would be able to do anything dangerous from prison. Not without help--and Titania despises her."

"That's for sure," Puck mentioned. "Not to mention, important fact - I would never in a million years do _anything_ to support Moth at _all_. So if I did do what he says I did it can't be her, and if it is her then it wasn't me." He was absolutely and completely firm in that statement. He despised Moth.

"Except that if you really did betray them to spare your own life, you may have joined your enemy," William pointed out. "So while it is a slim chance, she is still an option."

Puck's silent glare was louder than any curse word, but William didn't seem to care.

"I can't think of any other Everafters," Sabrina said after a minute, sighing. "This is giving me a headache."

"We probably won't figure it out overnight. But... Someone should keep an eye on Red Riding Hood," William admitted, glancing to the girl.

Red bit her lip and refused to look up.

"I will," Mr. Canis said, looking at Red. His primary concern was to make sure that nothing happened to her - specifically that Will didn't do anything to her.

"So what are we doing about _him_?" Puck asked, glaring at Will. "I don't want that sword of his anywhere near me."

"Since it'll take some time to figure this out, he'll need to stay somewhere," Snow said practically.

"Not with us," Veronica and William both said at the same time. Then they scowled at each other.

"I don't want him around my daughter," William growled.

"Well he can't be around my family, and he IS your family," Veronica said simply. "So he stays here."

Will scowled, glaring over at Red, who knelt under her chair and hugged Elvis tightly. Elvis wagged his tail and licked her face, trying to comfort her.

Snow went to William's side and took his hand. "I'm sure he won't hurt Cassia," she said, looking at him. "It'll be all right."

William sighed. "Fine. He can stay here, but only unarmed."

"Until I find out who the Heartless is," Will said coldly, standing.

"For now, I want to take the kids home," Veronica said softly.

"Of course," Relda said with a nod.

Henry nodded in agreement. "Good idea," he said. He looked at Kerdy. "Kerdy, do you need a ride home?"

Daphne bit her lip. She didn't want Kerdy to go...but it wasn't like he lived with them or anything. She was still freaked out, but trying not to let it show. She hugged her father tighter.

"Sir, would you mind if I came over for a little while?" Kerdy asked softly. "Maybe I can help you guys think on who it could be."

"I don't mind," Veronica answered, looking to Henry for his decision.

Henry nodded. "You're welcome in our house, Kerdy," he said, and he felt Daphne clutch him tighter in silent thanks. Whether Henry liked it or not, Kerdy had a calming effect on Daphne the way Puck did on Sabrina.

"Thank you, sir," Kerdy said respectfully. He hesitated, then reached for the diary Will had let Henry read. "I'll carry this."

Henry nodded to him, and then looked at Sabrina and Puck. "Ready to go?" he asked.

"I am," Puck said, his eyes on Sabrina. Things felt far too tense in that room.

"Yeah," Sabrina said, getting up and rubbing her shoulder. "My stitches itch."

"We should take a look at them when we get back to the house, just to make sure nothing's wrong with them," Relda said in concern.

Mr. Canis held his hand out to Red. "Let's go, Red," he said quietly.

Red didn't look up, reaching up to grasp Mr. Canis' shirt and hand, not wanting to be left behind.

Mr. Canis squeezed Red's hand reassuringly, leading her towards the door to go out into the car.

"Why don't you go get Jake, Briar, and Cory?" Henry suggested to Veronica, "and I'll go out to the car with the girls?"

"Alright," Veronica kissed him softly, then headed to the playroom to retrieve her son.

***.*.*.*.***

An hour later, Jake was tapping his fingers on the table in the Grimm house, frowning. "And that's all the information he had?"

"Yes," Veronica said, burping Cory in her arms. "Understandably, Puck and Sabrina are freaked out."

"Is there any possibility that he could still be lying?" Briar asked, looking anxious. She sat beside Jake, and looked at Veronica and Henry.

Only most of the adults were in the room at the moment - Mr. Canis was making sure Red was doing okay, and Daphne and Puck were off in the house with Kerdy and Sabrina. Henry, Veronica, and Relda were filling Jake and Briar in.

"I think at this point we've all concluded that he isn't," Henry said with a shake of his head. He reached over and stroked Cory's hair. "Unfortunately."

Cory burped, then wiggled his entire body and tried to get Henry's hand closer to his face to bite it. With love. Really.

"I don't think he has all of his facts correct," Veronica murmured. "But I don't doubt that most of what he said is true."

"This is terrible," Briar whispered, reaching for Jake's hand. Instead of take it, Jake pulled Briar completely into his arms and stroked her hair, nuzzling her.

"We'll find a way to stop it," he told her gently. "I won't let anything happen to you."

Veronica watched them with a smile, shifting Cory before he chomped one of Henry's fingers off.

***.*.*.*.***

He stood at the bay window of the guest room, troubled eyes scanning the generous view. He didn't enjoy it, of course. He didn't enjoy anything anymore. His only purpose left in life was to make sure the horrors didn't repeat themselves, no matter the cost.

It wasn't like Will had always gone around threatening little girls. He knew that he'd reached a point of no returning.

He didn't care.

His hand went into his tunic, and he pulled out a sketched drawing of a happy family. The mother and father were smiling tenderly down at a little girl. It would have been a pleasant memory for Will, if the picture hadn't been stained by faded reddish brown marks. His daughter's blood.

"I don't care who the Heartless is in this time," Will whispered, clenching his other fist. "I will find her and make her pay for the crimes she would one day commit.

He replaced the picture and headed to the door, making sure it was locked. For now, he had to wait.

Down the hall, William Charming was gripping the phone tight enough that his knuckles had turned white. He stood alone in his study while Snow tended to the baby, his posture rigid while he listened to Swineheart's words.

"No, that is all. Thank you."

He hung up and narrowed his eyes, glancing off into the distance while he tried to figure out his thoughts. Too many events happening at once. It didn't bode well.

'_So you've finally left the castle, have you, Bluebeard? And just where the hell do you think you're going?'_

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

"I promise, I'm just gonna lie down," Sabrina said for what had to be the hundredth time. "I'm okay, Puck."

He frowned in worry over her, but nodded and backed off. "You sure, Grimm?"

"I'm sure," Sabrina told him, giving him a quick kiss. Then she was ushering him from the room, closing the door behind him and sighing softly. There was too much on her mind. She needed to sort her feelings.

She could practically see him on the other side of the door, looking at the paint with uncertainty on his features. She figured he was worried, and would either camp outside the door, or harass an adult to find out more about the situation. Either way, Sabrina had to tear herself away from the closed door. She had things to do, and she couldn't simply hide in her fairyboy's arms.

Pushing her hair back, she headed over to the bed and sat down, propping herself up against the pillows. With her good hand, she reached under the bottom pillow to pull out a large leather-bound journal. It was dark blue with images of dragons coiling around swords and jewels, unicorns gathered in a field near a fairy spring. It had been a present from Henry for her thirteenth birthday.

Sabrina opened to the first page, looking at her own writing. It was her Grimm diary. The book she recorded her adventures in. Like all other Grimms, she seemed to use it half to keep track of fairytales and events, and half to vent her feelings about those events. She liked to write in pencil, since half the time she made errors from writing too fast or wrote things she wanted to take back, but Relda had insisted she record it all in pen. For that reason, she only wrote when she really needed something recorded, and rarely re-read it.

_'I wonder what future generations of Grimms will think about me when they read this,' _she thought, touching the yellow-brown pages. It had been made to look aged. _'Will they see why I did what I did, or will they think I'm just a spoiled kid who acts too rashly?'_

Pushing back her thoughts, she found a blank page and began writing, slowly and carefully tracing out each letter so she wouldn't have to stop until she'd gotten it all out.

***.*.*.*.***

**_As you know by now, my entries are never dated. If you want to find out when this happened, go find Daphne's journal. We probably wrote about the same thing, and she cares when things happen. I don't._**

**_Today, a stranger to this time showed up in my kitchen and threatened us all with an iron sword. He said his name was Will Charming, and he was from 150 years in the future. Apparently we all die, and Puck betrays my family._**

**_I'm not sure how I feel about this. I love Puck (shut up, if whoever is reading this starts laughing, I will find a way to get you back) and he loves me, but what if there is something that could make him change sides?_**

**_I'm getting ahead of myself. Anyway, Will said that some Everafter called 'The Heartless' basically rules the world with her consort/pet, the 'Villain King Puck'. I have to hand it to him, that sounds like a name Puck would give himself._**

**_According to Will, my generation is the era the Heartless came into power. She snapped or went crazy and killed the Scarlet Hand members (good riddance, I say) before moving on to everyone else. Mainly, my family and the people trapped in Ferryport Landing. From what Will said (and I don't think he has all his facts straight, but who can blame him if anyone who knew the Heartless died like a hundred years before he was born? I'm guessing a hundred years, anyway. Man he's technically old. Then again, so is Puck. Shut up again.) Puck was part of a plan to help destroy the Heartless, but she got the drop on him and spared him if he'd join her and well… Be evil. More about that later, I'd rather get to the point._**

**_I don't want to write about my dream. Go watch a horror movie, use your imagination, then multiply that times like 5 billion. Then you'll know how I feel._**

**_I'm trying to figure out who the Heartless could be. The most logical answer is Red Riding Hood, but… I don't want it to be her, even if everyone thinks I do. True, it'd be the easy option, but I do like Red. She's sweet, and she doesn't want to be evil. If it IS Red, then it's not her control… Which really makes about no difference for the end result._**

**_Ok I'm gonna make a list to try and figure this out. Possible suspects, and why they can or can't be it._**

**_Red Riding Hood-_**

**_1. She's been known to be creepy as hell._**

**_2. She has mental problems that she has to use meditation to control._**

**_3. She shows up in my dreams, which have all sucked._**

**_4. Will doesn't know if she died or not._**

**_5. Everyone underestimates her._**

**_Moth-_**

**_1. SHE IS CRAZY._**

**_2. She wants to rule the world. I think. 3_**

**_3. She wants to marry Puck, and she'd definitely spare him if she had the power to control him._**

**_4. Will's only reason why it probably wasn't her was that she wasn't weak to iron._**

**_Note to the reader: Fae/faerie types are all weak to iron. It's like poison to them. That's why Will has an iron sword. To fight… Puck._**

**_5. Having Puck kill me seems like something she'd really enjoy._**

**_Oh yeah. That's another thing Will said. Puck apparently killed me right after joining the Heartless. Either cause he wanted to, or cause she told him to. Nice,huh?_**

**_Goldilocks-_**

**_1. She's lonely and in love with my dad still._**

**_2. I haven't seen her since she woke my dad up._**

**_3. She's severely OCD. What if she snapped one day and decided the world was too big or too small and she needed to kill everyone to make it 'just right'? (Low blow, I know.)_**

**_4. Will said he knew she died, and I don't know why she'd spare Puck._**

**_5. Maybe looks change, but she's totally blonde and the Heartless had black hair. I know faerie-peoples can change appearances sometimes, but unless she carries hair dye in her bag of doom, the description doesn't match._**

**_Snow White-_**

**_1. I know I KNOW. But I had to write down all possible ideas. Anyway, she has black hair and is an Everafter._**

**_2. She kicks ass?_**

**_3. Nevermind._**

**_Klarissa-_**

**_1. Will said she was dead, and I know she has no magic, but I don't trust her._**

**_2. Description doesn't match, but she's psycho._**

**_3. I want it to be her._**

**_4. Just because she doesn't have magic doesn't mean she can't get it._**

**_5. She wants me dead too, and making Puck do it seems like her brand of 'insane bitch'._**

**_Morgan Le Fay-_**

**_1. Not sure I spelled her name right. She's pretty and kinda matches the description._**

**_2. She's powerful as hell._**

**_3. Have you seen her son? I'd snap and punish the world too._**

**_4. Sparing a guy seems like something she'd do._**

**_5. Since I don't know if Puck was ordered to kill me, it could just be that she wanted the Grimms dead before she found an alternate way of bringing down the barrier._**

**_Any One of 'The Three'?_**

**_1. 'nuff said. They're powerful and work for William Charming (they even worked for him when he was an ass.)_**

**_(And yes I know Morgan is one of the three, I just figured it could be one of the other two after I wrote her list.)_**

**_Titania-_**

**_1. Powerful_**

**_2. Lonely with Oberon gone. Apparently, Mustardseed said she's been throwing all kinds of grand balls and trying to get him interested in other faerie girls. She's been at it for like a year now, but Mustardseed isn't having luck with the girls. They all ditch, or something. Seems like she's bored and might go on a killing spree?_**

**_3. She'd spare Puck._**

**_4. I don't think she's too fond of me._**

**_5. Mustardseed said she's been visiting Moth in faerie jail, and each time she's done, she looks more pissed. Maybe the crazy is rubbing off?_**

**_Sigh. Yes, I wrote 'sigh', and sighed out loud. Got a problem? Too bad, this is a book you're reading. Anyway, I can't think of anyone else right now. There are so many Everafters… It could be any of them. And my shoulder really hurts. I stopped Will from slicing my boyfriend in half, and now I'm wounded again._**

**_I know I'd take a bullet (or iron sword in this case) for Puck, but sometimes I wonder if he'd do the same for me. He's still really playful. I mean, I know I love him, but Will's right… Feelings and people change. What if this isn't going to last forever? What if Puck really does turn on us, and he kills me? I don't want to believe it. I really don't. But… What if?_**

**_I find it hard to believe that a more mature version of the show-off fairy who got his wings ripped off trying to save me years ago would cave to a psycho girl who wanted to rule the world (See: Moth-the entry of extreme frustration. It's like a hundred pages back) but… I can't honestly say I know._**

**_What if something could make him change sides? What if 'No Matter What' is a promise I honor and he doesn't? Is that why my dream had Puck saying it to me? With his lips stitched shut in the reflection and no eyes? Because it was a lie, or because he didn't mean it?_**

**_Maybe I should go talk to Mirror after I take a nap. Mirror always knows what to say to cheer me up. And I know I can trust him._**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

Sabrina closed the journal, shivering. Her eyelids were drooping and she couldn't write anymore. Her hand felt stiff and achy. She hated how Will had made her doubt the one thing she thought she could always depend on.

Her eyes flickered to her bracelet, and she fingered the soft cord with a frown. She just wanted to find out who the Heartless was and take care of it.

"No matter what," she murmured to herself, yawning. She needed to get rid of the doubt. Without thinking, she curled up against the pillows, letting her hand rest on her closed and un-latched journal. She fell asleep like that, looking less than peaceful.

***.*.*.*.***

Puck eased open the bedroom door an hour later. He'd stopped hearing sounds from inside the room, and although privacy was something he tried to give Sabrina, he thought that maybe just _one_ peek wouldn't hurt anything. Just one.

His eyes fell on the figure on the bed, and he stood there for a moment with a soft look on his face. Yes, soft. No one else was around, he didn't have to act like Mister Tough Fairy.

He much preferred a peaceful look on her face when she slept, as opposed to the not-so-peaceful one that she wore now. He could see it even from where he stood. Puck walked over to the bed and reached his hand out towards Sabrina's cheek, touching it gently.

His hand paused, hesitating, when he noticed the journal lying just under her hand. He recognized it instantly for what it was, but unlike the other times he'd seen it, it was unlatched, as though she'd been writing in it before she'd fallen asleep.

Puck sat down on the edge of the bed and carefully eased the journal out from under Sabrina's hand, being careful not to jar her and wake her from her sleep. If she caught him reading her journal without permission she'd have his head. Not that a little thing like that would stop him, of course, but he'd rather just let her sleep.

The journal fell open to the most recent entry – he only knew it by the fact that every page following it was blank, thanks to her tendency not to date anything. His hand moved to her hair, running his fingers lightly through it as his eyes focused on the words and began to read. It was the sort of thing he'd expected – of course she'd want to write about what had happened that day. An uneasy feeling knotted in his stomach as he read over the first words about her uncertainty on his changing sides. It wasn't much, and she went right back into her thinking on the Heartless afterwards, but it left him worried.

Still, he read on, looking over her list and feeling a little better. After all, listing Snow White as a possible Heartless? Maybe the slight note about 'what ifs' was just her paranoia coming out? He continued reading, glancing back at Sabrina briefly with a soft look. He didn't like it when she worried so much.

He looked back to the page, seeing the end of the entry coming up.

Suddenly his hand stilled as he stared at the words at the end of the passage, a wave of shock going through him. She'd been his biggest supporter during the conversation (confrontation? argument?) with Will. He knew he could count on her belief in him in the end.

Or at least he thought he could. But her words were very clear, on the page, in her own handwriting. He'd expected her dreams to worry her, but to think he hadn't meant his promise? Promises were very serious to faeries. It felt like a slap in the face, seeing it so plainly written out in front of him.

She doubted him. She really thought that someday, he might turn his back on her to save his own skin. That he'd choose power over her. It was different from the one little worry, the small one she'd listed at the beginning. The entire last part of the entry implied she didn't trust him at all. She could trust Mirror, but not him, when he'd been through so much with her?

He drew his hand back from her hair, his body suddenly feeling cold, and stood up. With his jaw clenched and his mouth drawn in a tight line, he snapped the journal shut and put it back down onto the bed. The look in his eyes as he regarded her was full of hurt and betrayal.

Without a word, he turned and left the room abruptly. He shut the door bitterly, his heart fractured and the sting of tears blinding his eyes.

***.*.*.*.***

**A/N:**

**Sky: **Sorry to all the reviewers who had FF eat their review, or reviewed and we couldn't reply :X The site went haywire. Also sorry this is a bit of a shorter chapter.

**THANK YOU TO ALL THE REVIEWERS SINCE CHAPTER 20 WENT UP!: SeekDreamsAndFindHope, Schadenfreude62, Mystestar, Lyla Domae, DragonFly, gothicgal000** (Don't get grounded more!) **curlscat, ILoveGeorgeCooper, msjezzi-bella, obsessedwithbooks, Trickster Queen464, Hypocritically Her, Viva-Musica, Zeorzia, Blue-Eyed-Lily, SweeneyToddLover26, chemicalsilver, ACertainPeanutButterSandwich, Tanglenight, ZOMBIEfiedCrayons**(EEE! Welcome back!), **blueberry **(x3!)**, DeDe, Ascaisil, flying-dreaming-dancing **(I used dashes so FF doesn't eat your name like a web URL XD) **silent-entrance, **and **Katy ^^**

**We hope you enjoy this chapter, and please review to bounce your ideas or let us know how you felt about it ^^**


	22. Trust

**EDIT: Sky: Re-Added scene skips.**

**A/N:**

**Sky: **Grrr. This has been another horrible week. The only thing that cheered me up was the fact that **holy crap, we got another 40 reviews between chapters! And 35 on the most recent, that's a new record for us! **Hm…

**I wonder if we can make it to 600 on this chapter! Amg amg amg! **(which stands for ah my god, to those who asked lol.)

**Ayns: **600...that's be nice. I've never had 600 reviews before, or people who are as consistent with reviewing the way that all of our reviewers are. It seems like only yesterday that we were doing our 400th review contest, it's hard to believe we're already on our way to 600. Sky, I think....I think these guys really like us! :D

**Sky: **I think so too :3 We still have to finish those one-shots though. Let's gogo 1K REVIEWS!

***.*.*.*.***

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter Twenty-Two: Trust_**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

_Everything was dark. Darker than usual, considering the fact that Sabrina had gotten used to the dark setting her dreams usually took place in._

_The stairs in front of her looked old and a little mossy, made of stone. There was no railing to hold onto, just the same stone walls she had grown accustomed to seeing. The only light trickled along the cracks from the very top of the stairs, dim and orange. It seemed to be coming from a candle._

_"Hello?" Sabrina called, putting one hand against the wall as she began her ascent. She didn't expect an answer. It wasn't a disappointment at all that she didn't get one._

_Shivering, she continued until she reached the door at the top, pushing it open. The light hadn't been coming from a candle. The entire room was on fire. She couldn't see anything past the flames, but oddly, they didn't burn her as they licked almost playfully along her skin._

_"This is so messed up," she muttered to herself. "At least I know it's a dream."_

_Walking through the flames should have been easier than she made it feel. Even though she knew it wouldn't burn, it was still fire, and it still creeped her out, so she took her time. When she finally did reach the door, she opened it and prepared to step outside. Red stood on the other side, staring at her with flames around her body, hood down._

_Before Sabrina could process what she was seeing, or even respond, Red's eyes became hollow, filling with blood that began to streak down her cheeks in two steady streams. The scream died in Sabrina's throat as Red took a step towards her._

_"I didn't mean to," Red whispered, reaching out towards her. "I'm so sorry, Sabrina. I never meant to hurt you."_

_"Stay away!" Sabrina cried, turning to run back into the burning room._

_She slammed right into Puck, who looked down at her with hurt in her eyes. "Puck!" Her voice shook with relief, and she clutched his arms. "Puck, help me get out of here!"_

_He shook his head, expression cold. "Why didn't you trust me, Sabrina? None of this would have happened if you'd just trusted me."_

_"What…?" Sabrina's blue eyes filled with confusion, wide and uncertain, but Puck ignored her. He reached behind his back and pulled a sword from a sheath that had been mounted there. The sword's blade was red and black, with a silver and green hilt. It seemed to pulsate, stained permanently with the blood of the victims it had claimed, and as he brought it down towards her, she heard their screams mingling with her own._

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

Sabrina shot up in bed with a cry, her breath coming out in heaving gasps. She looked around immediately, but when she saw no sign of Puck, the frustration mixed with her terror and brought tears to her eyes.

"Just a bad dream," she whispered. "Just a really really bad dream."

She changed into a pair of jeans and a blue t-shirt with green sparkles around the hem, a black camisole underneath, then headed from her room to search out Puck. After all, she couldn't be mad that he hadn't been there when she'd woken up. She'd asked for time alone.

When she reached the kitchen, she sighed softly in relief. Kerdy had fallen asleep on the couch the previous night, so he was sleepily eating cereal with the family. His clothes were a little disheveled, hair un-brushed, but he was smiling and looked right at home. Daphne was sitting next to him and trying to help give Cory his bottle, but the youngest Grimm was trying to see how far he could make it squirt rather than drink it.

Red looked up, but when she saw Sabrina, she quickly looked back at her cereal with forced interest. She looked like she hadn't slept very well. No one in the household was missing from the table, but Veronica had opted to let Sabrina rest as long as she needed to.

"Cory, the milk is supposed to go in your mouth, not across the room," Daphne said anxiously, not looking up at her sister. She was trying really hard to show Veronica - and Kerdy - that she could handle giving her baby brother his breakfast.

Puck sat in his usual seat, shoveling food into his mouth, though he was doing it at a slower pace than usual. He glanced up when Sabrina walked in, but instead of his usual grin, he just shoved a piece of sausage into his mouth.

"Good morning, Sabrina," Henry said, smiling at his daughter. He looked a little tired, having been up half the night worrying about the things that Will had told him, but he was glad to see her. "How did you sleep?"

"..." Sabrina looked to her feet. She wasn't sure whether or not she should tell them or lie about it. After all, Will had everyone on edge, and he'd said her dreams were prophetic... But did everyone need to worry?

"Different nightmare?" Kerdy asked gently, seeing the look on her face. When she flinched, he opened his mouth to talk again, only to give a sharp yelp as Cory grabbed a fistful of his hair and yanked it sharply down.

As Kerdy was being yanked, Cory bonked Daphne's hand so the milk went right in Kerdy's eye. Daphne let out a yelp. "Omigod, Kerdy!" she exclaimed, seeing the milk going into his eye. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" She made it sound like it was her own personal fault, even though Cory had done it.

Henry walked over to Sabrina and put his arm around her shoulders, concerned, while Kerdy sputtered. "Why don't you sit down and get something to eat?" he suggested gently.

At the mention of Sabrina's nightmares and the indication that she'd probably had another one, Puck looked up from his breakfast and over to her. As angry as he was over the things he had read in her journal, it wasn't like he _wanted_ to hear that she'd had another nightmare.

"I'm not really hungry," Sabrina murmured, ignoring Kerdy. He was trying to reassure Daphne and clean himself off at the same time, while Cory laughed his happy baby butt off.

"It's not healthy to skip meals, Sabrina," Veronica said in concern.

"I know..." Sabrina glanced up, looking over at Puck. She needed a hug.

Puck looked away when Sabrina looked over at him, focusing on his eggs. "Your mom's right, you should eat," he said, his tone a little edged. "You're thin enough as it is, Grimm."

Sabrina (and a few others) stared at him in confusion. Then Sabrina scowled a little and moved to hug Henry instead. "Now I'm _really _not hungry."

Henry hugged Sabrina back, tightly. "It's all right, sweetie," he murmured, frowning a touch in Puck's direction. The fairy had been in a lousy mood since he'd come down that morning - he hadn't even said hello to Daphne.

"I think I'm going to go over to Charming's place to have another chat with Will. Is that okay?" Sabrina asked.

"I don't really want you going over there alone," Veronica threw a glance at Puck when she said it.

Puck felt the weight of Veronica's gaze on him, but responded in a moody tone, "It's not like she's the one he's trying to kill," he said. "He went after me with a sword, remember?"

"I don't need an escort, mom, especially not from a moping Peter-Pan-Wannabe," Sabrina snapped. It had been the tone of his voice that had driven her to say it.

Daphne's eyes widened, looking up as she realized that something was going on. Henry and Relda, who had just come out to take some of the dirty dishes into the kitchen, both stared at Sabrina.

"Excuse me?" Puck jumped to his feet, glowering at Sabrina. "What did you just call me?"

Sabrina pulled back from Henry's hug and glared at him. "You heard me. What's the matter? Scared of Will and his big bad sword?"

Puck glared fiercely at her. "Scared?" he asked. "I'm not _scared_ of anything!" He put his hands on his hips, scowling.

"Then why don't you walk me over there?" she countered, putting her hands on her hips as well. "Too busy stuffing your face?"

"Fine," Puck snapped. "I'll go over there with you. I don't feel like eating anymore any way." He stalked away from the table and over to her, looking at her. "And I am _not_ a Peter Pan Wannabe!"

She rolled her eyes, then looked to the gaping audience. "I'll be back later."

"Uh... Take your time?" Kerdy offered, taking Cory for a minute so Daphne wouldn't hurt herself trying to put the top back on the bottle. It had flown off.

Puck shoved his hands into his pockets, moving to follow Sabrina and just barely managing to refrain from muttering under his breath.

Daphne managed to get the bottle top back on, but she gave Kerdy a look that was both grateful and wide-eyed in surprise over the way Puck had been acting.

"Anyone have any idea what that was about?" Veronica asked after they'd gone. Sabrina had grabbed her backpack, which contained her carefully latched journal.

Daphne shook her head. "No...I thought Puck and Sabrina were on good terms last night," she said, biting her lip. She tried to hand the bottle back to Cory, who was still in Kerdy's arms.

"I don't know," Henry said with a frown. "I haven't seen him act like that towards her in awhile."

Kerdy didn't say anything, watching Cory smile at his big sister and try to put the whole bottle in his mouth. He acted up because it always made Daphne work harder to try and prove she could handle it. He really just liked the attention.

_'So is he acting out for Sabrina's attention, or because she hurt him somehow?' _Kerdy wondered, expression concerned.

***.*.*.*.***

"..." Sabrina kicked a rock. "We've been walking for ten minutes. Are you going to say anything?" she asked, looking over at Puck to scowl. The sun was out, but it wasn't very warm.

"What do you want me to say?" Puck asked. He watched her rock go skittering down the sidewalk. "You're not talking either."

"Okay fine," Sabrina shoved her hands in her pockets. "Why did you blow me off this morning until I baited you into walking with me?"

Puck scowled at a trash can as if it were the Heartless that everyone was looking for. "Why would you want me to walk with you?" he asked sourly.

"Last time I checked, we had this whole thing going on called a _relationship?" _she asked, scowling in his direction. "Where we occasionally care about each other, and act less like jerks when the other person is upset?"

"Yeah, well, last I checked, people trusted each other in relationships," Puck shot back, looking at her. "They didn't wonder if the other one was suddenly going to turn on them."

Sabrina stopped walking. Her hands slid from her pockets, and she stared at him blankly.

Puck stopped and cringed suddenly - remembering that this piece of information had come from her journal, which he wasn't supposed to have been reading. He turned to look at her, seeing the blank look on her face.

"You read my journal," she said, her tone more stunned than anything. She wasn't asking. She wasn't accusing. She was stating a fact.

Puck fell silent for a moment, but there was no point in denying it.

"Yeah," he said, nodding slightly. He averted his eyes from her. He couldn't look at her, not with knowing how she felt about it all. "I did."

"For someone who wants to preach about trust," Sabrina's voice shook, her anger right at the surface. "You sure aren't giving me reasons to trust you."

"It was unlocked and lying out," Puck said, "and it's not like people aren't going to read it anyway - future generations of Grimms getting to read all about you wondering if I was going to betray you!"

Sabrina flinched at his wording. "I'm supposed to be some kind of detective, Puck! That means I have to consider everything! And you can't deny that Will had proof--in some way, you're evil in his future, and I don't know why!"

"How about, _he's got his facts screwed up?_" Puck demanded. "For all we know the guy he thinks of as Puck isn't even me! It could be some guy _saying _he's me because, guess what? If Will's telling the truth then he wasn't even born when I supposedly go evil."

"I know that!" Sabrina shouted. She knew it was childish, but she stomped her foot on the ground as her only outlet to vent the frustration she was feeling. It was curling inside her, clawing to get out. She just wanted to yell at him. "So tell me this--when I was going all crazy-in-lust over Jeremy, did you ever think that I'd changed my mind, or did you know right away, _no matter what, _that I'd been put under some kind of spell? And don't you dare lie to me!"

"Yeah, fine, I thought for a moment that you were ditching me before I thought you were under a spell," Puck snapped. "But that was a long time ago - we hadn't even made our promise yet!"

"But you could have had faith in me!" Sabrina argued. "Instead of thinking I'd jump the closest guy with an accent!"

"There's a _big_ difference between me thinking you'd jump a guy with an accent way back when we hadn't even been dating for two years, and you thinking that I'm going to kill you after being together for more than twice that!" Puck said angrily, his eyes flashing.

Sabrina's cheeks flushed, eyes filling with hurt at his words. "Oh. I get it. So there's every possibility I'm cheap and shallow if we're only together for a short time, but there's no possible way in all the world something might happen to convince you not to be a good guy anymore if it's been four or more years? How stupid of me."

She tried to snap. She tried to make it sound angry. But her voice just shook and wavered like she wanted to cry.

"Damn it, Sabrina, that's not what I meant!" The way that her voice shook...damn it! Puck reached out and grasped her shoulders, looking down at her. "If it were reversed and this was happening back then, I wouldn't be as surprised to find out that you doubted me. But if that thing with Jeremy happened now, after all this time and everything we'd been through, I'd immediately think it was some screwed up spell making you act that way. We're different people now than we were then."

"Are we? Because you're still a jerk!" Sabrina cried, jerking her shoulders out of his grip and punching him with extra anger, right in the gut. "I'll walk to Charming's place on my own, you ass!"

Puck doubled over, clutching his stomach and letting out a sound that could adequately be described as "Wheeze!"

He coughed, dragging in a couple of short breaths. "Like...hell...you...are," he gasped out. "You can't trust him."

"Yeah? Well I guess I can't trust you either! So just leave me alone!"

She shoved past him, taking off in a full run so he wouldn't see the tears in the corners of her eyes.

Puck finally managed to catch his breath and straighten up, staring after her - she was a lot further away this time.

He scowled, anger fading and replaced by hurt in his expression now that she couldn't see his face. "Fine," he muttered. "At least now I know where I stand."

He just couldn't believe that she could have defended him like she had to Will...and still have doubts about him.

***.*.*.*.***

"Hell," William muttered, standing in the doorway and looking like he hadn't slept. He had his daughter in one arm, a diaper bag and a bottle in the other. "You can come in if you'll change this diaper."

"Um..." Sabrina stared up at William, tears still in her eyes, cheeks flushed, and lungs feeling ready to pop. She'd run full speed all the way to his mansion. "Wh-where's Snow?"

"Sleeping for once," William grunted, stepping aside. "Cassia doesn't sleep. I swear she doesn't sleep at all. I'm trying not to wake Snow, but Mr. Seven went out for the morning and I have no way to--dear god it's leaking," he looked down at his daughter in horror.

Cassia looked up at William with huge, tear-filled eyes - because of course, a diaper that was leaking wasn't at all comfortable for a little girl to wear, especially not one that was as sweet as Cassia. She squirmed in his arms, trying to make her diaper more comfortable.

"For the love of..." Sabrina groaned, wiping at her eyes with her arm and setting her backpack down. "Haven't you ever changed a diaper?" she asked, grabbing Cassia and the blanket she was wrapped in so she didn't get anything on her own shirt.

"Of course not," William looked appalled. "Snow and the hired help do that."

"Wuss," She muttered under her breath, looking down at Cassia. She needed a distraction. "Isn't that right? Daddy can't change a diaper, he's not as cool as mommy."

Cassia looked up at Sabrina, and then hiccupped and gave a shy baby smile. She thought Sabrina was really pretty. She squirmed again, sticking her thumb in her mouth and looking adorable.

Sabrina set Cassia down on the nearest table, ignoring William's protests of it being antique. She made sure to cushion Cassia's head as she went to change the diaper--she had a lot of practice, having done it for Daphne and Cory at some point. "So where's Will?"

William's scowl seemed to crease deeper. "He insists on keeping his sword nearby, but he won't tell me where. I told him not to bring it in the house, so he's probably in the back yard. I can't believe he's my descendant. And the name... his parents had no taste."

"It's almost your name," Sabrina muttered.

"That's the point. The only worse name would have been William the tenth or whatever generation number he'd have gotten."

She rolled her eyes, finishing up with the diaper. Cassia hadn't even squirmed or made a fuss. "There. Your daughter's changed."

The moment Cassia realized her diaper was comfortable and clean again, she clapped her hands and giggled. Her entire face seemed to light up with a miniature version of Snow's smile. She held out her arms to Sabrina and William, wanting hugs from one of them. Sabrina let William move to pick the girl up while she bundled up the disposable diaper. William seemed to go--well, charming, now that his daughter was clean.

He tucked the baby into his arms and kissed her little cheeks, then glared at Sabrina.

"Right right, not a word, you're a cold bastard, yada yada. I'm going to go find Will," she said sarcastically.

"You do that. And don't break anything."

Cassia looked up at her father adoringly, figuring that a 'cold bastard' meant a 'wonderful daddy who couldn't change diapers', and reached up to grasp for his nose in a loving fashion.

***.*.*.*.***

Sabrina stepped onto the freshly cut grass, glancing around. The back yard was huge, with nicely trimmed hedges, and timed sprinklers. The balcony of the master bedroom overlooked the entire landscape, which gave a perfect view of the rainbows that played across the lawn while it was being watered. Will was near the hedge.

"Hey," Sabrina called, trying to get Will's attention. "What are you doing?"

Will turned, smiling a little and heading over. "Sabrina Grimm. I was checking the area. What brings you here?"

"I had another dream," Sabrina admitted. "And I wanted to talk to you about stuff."

"Explain it to me," Will said seriously.

Sabrina hesitated. On the one hand, she wanted to talk to him about the dream and see what he thought. On the other, it would only make him distrust Puck more. So she explained everything except Puck's role.

When she finished, Will was frowning. "But your family insists it can't be Red," he said. "How come?"

"Well, Red's really sweet," Sabrina admitted. "And she doesn't want to be evil. If it IS her… Then it's far beyond her control and we should try to save her, ya know?"

"Sabrina, you don't understand what the Heartless is capable of," Will said, putting a hand on her shoulder. He ignored her sharp wince of pain. "If there's any opening for her to rise into power, she will not be stopped. I hate to do it, but in her case, it's kill first and ask questions later."

"Yeah and you almost killed me in that mindset," Sabrina muttered, pulling away.

"I'm sorry about your shoulder. I'll fix that now," Will murmured, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small leather pouch. "Don't move."

"What is that?" Sabrina asked curiously, looking at the small tin case he was pulling out.

"It's a healing salve," Will said. "It's fast-acting and incredibly potent."

"Is it magic?" Sabrina backed away immediately. "I don't want any magic on me."

"It's not magical anymore. Magic was used to make it, but I promise this won't affect your addiction."

She grimaced. "So everyone knows about that, huh?" She didn't pull away when he shifted her shirt and began messing with the bandages. In the end, she pulled her shirt off and let him fix her shoulder while she wore a camisole. It wasn't too cold, but it was a little embarrassing.

"Well, everyone knew of the Grimms," Will explained, rubbing the salve on. The stitches dissolved as the skin began to seal itself over the wound. "Daphne Grimm and her empathy, her power with auras and ability to communicate with animals-"

"Daphne can talk to animals?" Sabrina asked in surprise.

"Well, bunnies only, from what I was told. It's in Kerdy Jr.'s diary," Will said simply.

"…Kerdy Jr.? Okay forget I asked," Sabrina said, shaking her head. "Anyway, continue."

"Well, Cory Grimm was killed before he got any powers," Will murmured. "But Veronica Grimm had an uncanny way with words and charisma. They say her charm could have swayed an entire nation-"

"And me?" Sabrina murmured. "What did they say about me?"

"They said… Well, you, Sabrina Grimm, were known for your addiction to magic and your sense of leadership. You didn't survive as long as your sister, so that's all we knew," Will murmured, putting the salve away.

"I don't think Puck would ever kill me," Sabrina blurted out. "Your information might be wrong, Will, Puck and I… We have something stronger than that."

"You don't doubt him at all?"

"…" Sabrina looked away. "Of course I do. I'm only human. I wondered what could make him do it. Everyone has doubts. But Puck and I have a promise."

Will shook his head. "Do you know how to fight?"

"Puck and I have sparred," Sabrina nodded. "So I know a bit."

"He'd hold back fighting you," Will said. "Why not try sparring with me? We can use great great gramps' weapons."

"You call him great great gramps?" Sabrina asked.

"Yeah, he hates it," Will grinned at her, and she grinned back.

"Aside from the whole fact that you attacked my boyfriend and wounded me, then told us about this entirely horrible and depressing future, I think we'll get along fine," Sabrina said, laughing. "Yeah, please spar with me."

***.*.*.*.***

Meanwhile, Puck made his way back to the Grimm house, stalking inside without hesitation. The expression on his face was thunderous, and anyone looked at him would have expected a little storm cloud to be following him around. He was Not Happy.

"..." Kerdy passed Cory off to Daphne, promised to be back, and walked over to Puck. "Want to talk about it?"

Puck paused - he'd been heading for the stairs - and looked at Kerdy. He almost said no.

Then he sighed, and shrugged. "Sure, why not," he muttered. "It's not like I'm figuring anything out on my own."

"We always have the girls with us," Kerdy joked. "Let's go talk for a bit, okay? Your room?"

Puck nodded. "Yeah," he said, heading up the stairs. "We can talk freely there." He really didn't feel like having Sabrina's family overhearing anything that was on his mind at the moment.

Kerdy shoved his hands in his pockets while they walked. He felt a little anxious to be away from Daphne, but it was only because he had a feeling danger was on the horizon. Once they got to Puck's room, he looked around and whistled. "I don't think I've ever really been in here. Is that a panda over there?"

Said Panda darted behind some bushes.

Puck chuckled and nodded. "Yeah," he said. "I used to have a bunch of chimps, too, but I got rid of them - Sabrina didn't like them much. There's a kangaroo around somewhere, too."

"Cool," Kerdy said. "So, what's going on with you and Sabrina? You both seemed a little pissed off."

Puck crossed his arms over his chest and sat down on a log that happened to be conveniently placed for sitting. "Understatement," he said. "She doesn't trust me."

"Start from the beginning, I suck at guessing games. Okay no I don't. But I don't want to guess," Kerdy said, sitting down beside him.

The Trickster King let out a heavy sigh. "Well, it started with me reading her latest journal entry last night," he said. "She'd been writing in it, and she fell asleep."

"You read her journal?" Kerdy groaned. "You had to know it was going to be a bad idea, Puck. I mean come ON! Girls go nuts over diaries and things like that."

"Yeah, but it was her mystery journal!" Puck protested. "Our kids are supposed to end up reading that or something, so it's not like it's really private."

"..." Kerdy's cheeks flushed. "Your kids? You've thought that far ahead?"

"....." Puck's face turned bright red as he realized what he'd just let slip. He shoved a hand through his hair. "Well, it's not like I plan on being with anyone else and she's not either so I just figure it's probably a possibility and can we not talk about that right now please?"

"..." Kerdy hid his smile with his hand. His voice was amused. "Okay sorry. So anyway, what happened?"

"Well, so I was reading it, right?" Puck sighed. "And she wrote about all the stuff that we'd been talking about, with the Heartless. Most of it was her trying to figure out how the Heartless was...but there were several points during it when she talked about me." His expression darkened. "She thinks I'm going to turn on her."

Kerdy glanced down at his feet, idly digging one foot into the ground. "Did she write that you're going to betray her, or did she write that she was worried or doubtful about the future?"

"Mostly she was doubtful," Puck said. "Or worried, yeah, she was worried." He shook his head. "I just don't get how she can doubt me like that. Especially after defending me."

Kerdy glanced up at the sky. "Ya know, you're older than me--both on years alone and physically now. But I don't think you're as mature."

He turned to the other boy before he could take offense. "What I mean is, she's scared, Puck. Don't we both know the same Sabrina Grimm? She spent years distrustful and every time she thought she trusted someone, they turned on her. You guys made a pretty heavy promise... But sometimes self esteem or confidence just isn't a hundred percent. You're offended because you want her to trust you unconditionally, but knowing her, she's probably considered options like... Like the Heartless chick turns out to be some super-hot Everafter that you end up liking better. Ya know? She's just scared and not very confident about the whole thing."

Kerdy's words made Puck quiet for a few minutes, mulling over them.

"Okay, I get that," he said. "Still...I thought she trusted in me completely, from the things that she said to Will. _I _know how I feel about her, that I would never hurt her - but it feels like she doesn't seem to think it's true. And I don't have a clue how I can convince her."

"Ditching her when she's about to cry over a nasty nightmare--yeah that'll work," Kerdy said dryly. "You're only making her doubt worse, ya know."

"What am I supposed to do?" Puck asked. He closed his eyes, letting out a soft groan. "I wasn't expecting her to consider that the stuff that bastard said about me might actually be true."

"What if it is?" Kerdy asked, looking at him seriously. "You two wrote it off immediately, but you don't know for sure."

"Because even the _thought_ of doing something like that to her makes me sick to my stomach," Puck said. "Killing her?" He gave a shudder.

"I know," Kerdy reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. "But Puck... Five years ago, how did you feel about growing up and being in love? What would you do if I came from the future and found you in your swamp on a throne made of garbage and told you one day you'd fall in love with a headstrong blonde girl?"

"I'd think you were absolutely nuts and I'd tell my pixies to go drown you," Puck said immediately.

And then he scowled.

"Exactly. Same idea, different events. Anyway, I'm not gonna try to tell you how to fix everything. That's way over my head," Kerdy stood. "I'm just saying, give her a break for having her doubts, Puck."

He headed for the door. "Oh, and if I thought Daphne was having nightmares like the ones Sabrina described? Even if I was so mad I never wanted to see her again, I think I'd still have to comfort her. What's worse, really? The feeling of not being trusted or the feeling of letting someone down when they need you? And I don't actually want an answer."

He shut the door behind him.

Puck sat there, feeling a knot the size of a grapefruit forming in his stomach, and it was letting larger.

Then he swallowed hard. "Damn," he whispered, glaring down at the ground. He felt like...well, rather like a creep.

No, strike that. _Exactly_ like a creep.

***.*.*.*.***

"OW!" Sabrina fell hard on her butt, scowling up at Will. "What was that for?"

"I told you I wouldn't go easy on you," Will said, moving from the crouch he'd been in. He balanced his sword with the tip in the ground. "Can you get up?"

Sabrina flopped onto her back. "Are my legs still attached?" she grumbled.

"Do you whine this much when Relda trains you to fight?" William muttered from the balcony with Cassia. It had only been an hour or so since Sabrina had come over, and Snow was still sleeping.

"Puck doesn't normally jam the hilt of a sword into my gut," Sabrina responded, scowling up at the sky. Turning to find William was too painful.

"You had no defense for it," Will said simply. They were using William's swords--the iron one was still out of range.

"Yeah well... Shut up," Sabrina grumbled, trying to roll and push herself up.

"Ooo," whispered Cassia as she watched the practice from her father's arms. She was actually holding still for once, her eyes focused on the scene. She shoved her fist into her mouth, blue eyes curious. Then a shadow fell over the spot between Will and Sabrina, and she looked up. "Ooo!"

Puck flew down from the sky, wings folded back as he landed down in the yard - right between Will and Sabrina. His own sword was out in an instant, and his eyes were blazing. He hadn't noticed William and Cassia - all he had noticed was Will and Sabrina.

And the fact that Sabrina looked like she'd just got her butt kicked. "What the hell do you think you're doing to her?" he snarled.

Will sneered at Puck. "Don't make me get my sword, Villain King."

"Puck?" Sabrina asked in surprise. She pushed herself up, holding her side and wincing a bit. She had grass stains and a few twigs in her hair. "What are you doing here?"

"Wonderful," William grumbled. The shouting was sure to wake Snow.

"Keeping this cretin away from you," Puck said, seething as he glared at Will. "How dare you take a weapon to her!"

Sure enough, a moment later Snow came out onto the balcony behind William and Cassia. She was wearing her nightgown, a fluffy robe wrapped around her. "What's going on?" she asked sleepily. She had bed hair.

"The 'Days of Our Ferryport Landing'," William grumbled sarcastically, handing Cassia over to his wife and taking them both into his arms. He kissed Snow's hair.

"For the love of all that is holy...! Puck, he was sparring with me!" Sabrina growled. "I asked him to!"

Snow snuggled against William, tucking Cassia against her. "Oh, are Puck and Sabrina over?" she asked, yawning. Cassia buried herself against her mother's chest.

"_What?_" Puck turned to look at her with wide eyes, sword still pointed at Will. "You were sparring - what about your shoulder?"

Sabrina scowled. "My shoulder's fine. He healed it and apologized for wounding it. Stitches are gone too, it was just this weird healing salve he had to rub on it."

Will had the decency to flush. Rubbing the salve onto her bare skin had been somewhat awkward, but he'd acted before thinking.

Puck immediately twitched. "He rubbed your shoulder?" he asked, glaring again at Will. No one was supposed to be rubbing _anything_ of Sabrina's - unless Puck himself was doing the rubbing.

Sabrina rolled her eyes. "What do you care anyway?" she muttered, trudging over to her fallen sword and picking it up. "It's none of your business what I'm doing."

Puck lowered his sword and went over to her. "What do you mean, what do I care?" he asked, glowering a little. "You think I want you going around and getting hurt?"

"Yeah, that's exactly what I think," Sabrina said angrily.

"Idiot," Puck sheathed his sword, and then pulled her into his arms. Then he lowered his voice. "And for the record, I'm calling myself that," he said quietly.

Sabrina's body tensed, hand freezing around the hilt of the sword she'd picked up. She didn't react at first, wavering on whether or not to remain pissed off or give in to the fact that she was terrified and unsure. The latter won, and then she was dropping the sword, turning completely to face him and burying her face in his shoulder. "And jerk," she whispered, voice shaking.

"That too," Puck whispered, one arm firmly around her waist and the other cupping the back of her head. "Sorry about before, Sabrina."

"Well you should be," she replied, muffled. Her hands came up to grip at his shirt.

"Yes wonderful, all you need now is for someone to get amnesia, someone to fall into a coma, and someone to get pregnant--bonus points if someone gets both or all three!" William snapped from the balcony. "Take your soap opera elsewhere."

"I'm going inside," Will said, picking his sword up. "Don't let your guard down, Sabrina."

She didn't answer either Charming.

Snow tilted her head up to look at her husband and smiled. "Oh, let them be," she murmured. "I think they're being incredibly sweet. Don't you, Cassia?"

Cassia peeked up at her father, and the two female Charmings gave William the full effect of their smiles.

"I still don't like him," Puck muttered, though he kept his arms tight around Sabrina. "But yeah, let's get out of here."

William was powerless to the female charm, and he sagged in defeat. "Take whatever you want," he teased Snow softly. "I can't resist. Rob me blind--you'll find that you can steal just about everything but my heart. I gave that to you the day we met."

Sabrina pulled back a bit to grimace. "Charming's getting romantic and corny. Let's really go now." She had tears in her eyes again, but she looked happier to be with Puck.

Snow's eyes grew a little misty at William's words, and she tilted her head for a kiss, succumbing to his charm. When he wanted to be, he could really live up to his name.

Puck snickered and nodded. "Ready to fly?" he asked, picking her up without giving her the option.

"Yeah," Sabrina whispered, burying her face in his neck. "Jerk."

Puck kissed the top of her head, then extended his wings and lifted off into the air. It'd been awhile since he'd taken her flying, and he headed back towards the house without hesitation.

"What changed your mind?" Sabrina asked after a few moments, deciding not to look up. It always made her dizzy if she looked.

"I had some sense knocked into me," Puck replied, holding her securely against his chest. "Though Kerdy would probably say it was a gentle tap - he just made me realize what a moron I was being."

"..." Sabrina held on a little tighter. "I had another dream," she whispered. "And I think this was the worst one."

"Tell me about it," Puck said quietly. "Or, if you'd rather, we can wait until we're back home and on the ground."

"You'll drop me if I tell you about it," she grumbled. "I'll wait."

"You know I'd never drop you - not unless there's a trampoline below," Puck said with a soft laugh.

But he didn't press for more information on the dream until they were safely at home, and going into the house together. "My room or yours?" he murmured.

"Mine, I need some normalcy," Sabrina sighed, pulling back from his arms once they touched the ground.

Puck wrapped his hand around hers, brushing this thumb over her knuckles as he walked with her upstairs to her bedroom. It didn't bug him much, the comment about normalcy - she was freaked out enough, he couldn't blame her for wanting something familiar.

Her cheeks flushed when she felt the familiar touch, and a rush of warmth spread through her so fast she nearly walked into a wall. Embarrassed, she picked up the pace and moved in front of him, leading him up to her room without a word. Luckily, no one seemed to notice them, so she was able to shut the door and lock it once they were inside. Puck grinned when he saw that Sabrina had locked the door, feeling rather encouraged by the action. If she was locking the door, she felt safe enough with him in the room.

He walked over to the bed and sat down, leaning back on his arms. "C'mere," he said, motioning for her to come over.

For a moment, it looked like she might stay near the door. It was only a moment--she was moving to the bed immediately after, sitting down next to him.

He reached out and placed his hand over hers, looking at her. "Now tell me," he said. "Take your time, but I want to hear it all." Something had spooked her, and he was pissed at himself for not figuring out how badly earlier - for not realizing it enough to keep from being a creep.

Sabrina took a deep breath, bowing her head. She explained every last detail of the dream--the burning room, Red's eyes, the words, Puck's betrayal, the statement he'd made, and the last vision of his sword before she woke up.

As she finished her explanation, Puck sat up fully and reached for her. He pulled her into his arms, into his lap, and held her for a moment without saying a word. He just held her silently, letting his arms do the reassuring. She was silent for a little while, leaning against him and breathing in the forest scent off his clothes.

Her eyes opened and closed slowly. She was completely relaxed in his arms. "It's not like I don't trust you," she murmured finally.

"I know," Puck said quietly. "If you didn't trust me, you wouldn't have locked the door, and you wouldn't be letting me hold you like this." He kissed the top of her head. "Tell me what you're feeling."

"..." Sabrina closed her eyes again. "I'm scared, Puck. I don't know who the Heartless is. All my instincts are screaming it's Red, but I don't want it... Well, you know that, you read my journal. But... I don't know what to think. I don't want to consider possibilities that end with you killing me."

"Believe me, I don't want to consider those possibilities either," Puck said quietly. He tightened his arms around her. "But...I guess we have to at least acknowledge that they exist." He took a deep breath. "I'll tell you right now, though, that it's the last thing I want."

"Yeah, I know that," Sabrina sighed softly. "I don't like having these nightmares. I don't like that everyone I know is in danger. Puck, what are we going to do?"

"I don't know yet," Puck said. He looked down at her. "But whatever we do, we're going to do it together. Got it?"

"Sure," Sabrina agreed. "No matter what, right?"

Puck nodded, feeling her secure and warm in his arms. "No matter what," he replied.

Sabrina relaxed, snuggling in his arms and feeling more secure than she had in a while. In that moment, she was positive nothing would ever come between them, and Will was simply wrong. He had to be. His future about a Puck who would kill the people she loved, it wasn't true. Something was wrong, or someone was misinformed. Will was just plain _wrong. _He had to be...

***.*.*.*.***

Later that evening, Puck was sitting with Sabrina, watching as she scrawled more notes and thoughts concerning the identity of the Heartless on a piece of notebook paper.

His eyes scanned the words that she'd written, looking over her shoulder. "Hey," he said, stopping her suddenly when he noticed something. "That's the second time you've put 'Everafter' under Red's list."

Sabrina paused in her writing. She scanned the list, realizing a moment later that he was right--she'd written it near the top and again near the bottom. "Oh... Whoops," she moved to erase the second one, a frown on her face.

Puck watched her erase it, and noticed the frown on her face. "Why are you writing that down, anyway?" he asked.

"The Heartless is an Everafter," Sabrina said with a shrug. "So I may as well write it, right?"

"Except that everyone else on the list is already an Everafter," Puck pointed out. "So why put it at all?"

Sabrina frowned again. "Well, why not?" she asked. "Is it such a bad thing to list it for all of them?"

"It's pointless," Puck said. "Just because the Heartless is an Everafter doesn't make that a reason for her to _become_ the Heartless."

"Well why not?" Sabrina asked. "Most Everafters still can't be trusted."

Puck frowned. "Isn't that a little like saying you can't trust someone just because of their race?" he asked apprehensively.

"No, I just mean a lot of the Everafters still hate my family and we haven't caught the Scarlet Hand," Sabrina said immediately. She glanced to the list again. "Just stating the facts, Puck."

Puck leaned back a little, scowling. "I still don't think it's necessary," he said. "Like I said, everyone on that list is already an Everafter."

"Well when you write your own list, you can exclude it," she muttered. "But this is my list and I'll write whatever facts I think are important."

"So you think being an Everafter is important to figure out whether or not you can trust someone?" Puck asked, looking at her.

"Yes," Sabrina replied without thinking.

Puck moved to stand up, unfolding his long legs, and his expression was darker again - the way that it had been earlier. "Is _that_ one of the reasons you think I might betray you?" he demanded, looking at her.

Sabrina stared up at him, then stood as well, cheeks flushing in anger. "I thought we were past that, Puck."

"Yeah, well, that was when I thought it was because people change and we don't know what'll happen in the future," Puck said. "But now I'm wondering if you think I'll do it just because of what I am."

"You are so one-track-minded!" Sabrina growled in frustration. "So if I ever say anything about another Everafter, are you going to get all sullen and think I mean you?"

"But you're not saying anything about _one_ Everafter, you're saying it about all of us," Puck said, putting his hands on his hips.

Sabrina threw her hands in the air. "You know what, Puck... I think I'll just finish this list on my own. You can just go back to your room and mope."

Puck glared at her. "Fine," he said shortly, heading for the door. "I'll just leave you here to do whatever you want to do."

"Good!" Sabrina snapped, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Great!" Puck yanked open the bedroom door and stalked out, slamming it shut behind him. His expression was stony. Maybe she thought he was an exception to being an Everafter, but he didn't - and it ticked him off thinking that she didn't count Everafters as trustworthy.

Sabrina's hands fell to her sides as she stared at the closed door. "...Great," she echoed softly, moving to sit down again.

She put her face on the paper and groaned. That hadn't gone how she wanted at all.

'_Damn it,'_ Puck thought as he stalked down the hall to his room. He hadn't wanted to fight with her again - that hadn't been how he'd intended the evening to go at all. He stopped outside his door and pushed his hands through his hair, then let out a little growl and went inside.

Sabrina lifted her head from the paper, biting her lip. She'd hoped the fighting wouldn't have picked back up. They'd made up so well, she'd expected it to be buried and gone... But there he was, bringing it back up.

_'It's not like I still distrust every Everafter I meet,' _she thought, clutching the fabric of her pants with both hands. _'I'm just stating the facts. That's all. Stupid Puck...'_She crumpled the paper up, throwing it away with an angry sigh. _'I'll apologize in the morning. I don't want to fight anymore.'_

But she had a sinking feeling that it was only the beginning, and the fights were about to get a lot worse.

***.*.*.*.***

**A/N:**

**Sky: **And to all of those hoping for Bluebeard's return… Bwahaha. He'll be back very soon. ^^

Also, we tried really hard to get Sabrina and Puck to fight, since the plot calls for it, but every time, they were like "Screw you" and went to make out. We were just like "Great… They made up again. How do we make them fight?"

Anyway **Thank you so much to all the reviewers, you've really cheered me up in this crappy week. So THANK YOU: SeekDreamsAndFindHope, curlscat, SweeneyToddLover26, Schadenfreude62, Mystestar, Trickster Queen464, iD Sisters Grimm iD, Sabrina Grimm**(x2!)**, Dragonfly, msjezzi-bella, Katy, ILoveGeorgeCooper, chemicalsilver, Blue-Eyed-Lily, Viva-Musica, amethystdolphin, A CertainPeanutButterSandwich, Lilyflower-314, Ascaisil, grimmgirl, Sorry-NotValid, Skyprincess858, Squiggles (**Teehee!), **Taylor Wimbley **(Katy! Times 3? XD), **Lara D, DeDe, obsessedwithbooks, Lyla Domae, emerald and onyx, Grrrgirl1, silent-entrance, broken beyond repair, BoOkLuvEr303 **(x2!), **Lumiere Nordiques **(x2!), **Sara,**and… **Skyprincess858 **again!

Wow… Lots of people reviewed more than once on that :3 Thanks guys. Our goal right now is 1k reviews! (at least mine is, not sure about Ayns XD)

**Ayns: **I think 1k reviews would be pretty nifty....and I'll try to get the little Puck on my shoulder to behave, but he keeps telling me that he's tired of fighting with Sabrina and wants more kisses. I keep having to distract him somehow, but it isn't easy!

**Sky: **See ya next chapter! Also, Charming made several references to soap operas. If you didn't get it, he was using a play on the title "Days of Our Lives". And to the reviewer who wondered about the Kingdom hearts connection… I actually never played it, but yes it is the same name, huh? XD

**Edit: Fixed 'nope' to 'mope', thank you Lyla Domae.**


	23. Fragility

**EDIT: Sky: Re-Added scene skips.**

**A/N:**

**Sky: **Okay quick notes here cause it's 3:45 A.M. and I have to work at 9. This chapter was hard to write because (I wrote like 4 scenes all alooooone! Oh, and…) it had to be extremely dramatic. This is basically right before the crap hits the fan. And it's sad T-T

**BUT! Because of the fact that we hit 600 reviews almost immediately after posting (Holy crap, you guys! ^^) I pressured Ayns into letting us write all day and update this ASAP. **It's a slightly shorter chapter, but we hope you like it. Also I hope this gives some more insight into Sabrina's character.

Here's a hint to keep you suspenseful. The next chapter will be titled "**The Heartless**"

^^ Enjoy.

***.*.*.*.***

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter Twenty-Three: Fragility _**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

Sabrina closed her eyes, fighting back a wave of exhaustion. She couldn't shake the bad feeling she'd gotten about the fighting. She didn't want to fight.

_'Maybe I shouldn't wait until morning,' _she thought, standing up. _'He doesn't understand how I feel.'_

The thought paused her before she could get to the door, her hand hovering near the knob. _'No one really understands, do they?' _She looked back to her journal. _'Maybe I'll write some stuff down, then go talk to Puck. I'll apologize and explain everything.'_

That thought in mind, Sabrina moved back to her bed, curling up against the pillows and opening her journal.

***.*.*.*.***

**_I don't think people understand me at all. I mean, I'm totally used to it, but it causes problems so freaking often. I have a hard time explaining myself._**

**_Whoever's reading this… What do you think of me? What kind of person do you think I am? Do you think I'm horribly racist, or that I don't give people a chance? Do you think I'm some spoiled kid who has nothing better to do than whine about how hard her life has been? Or can you tell what I'm really thinking?_**

**_I guess it doesn't matter. Not like I'm going to meet you one day and be insulted by your views, or flattered._**

**_Puck seems to think I still distrust Everafters simply because they're Everafters. It's not that. Really, it isn't._**

**_But look at the facts. The Heartless is an Everafter and a girl. It could be any of them. And the Master of the Scarlet Hand is an Everafter. We don't know who they are—but we know they're Everafters. That's all we know._**

**_I mean, if you were in my shoes, wouldn't you feel the same? Say… Say your whole world was turned around and you were constantly in danger, and all you knew was that the person responsible was… Say, blonde._**

**_Until you found out who they were, wouldn't you wonder, every time you saw a blonde person, if it might be them? Just because they're blonde? Or what if someone was leaving nasty threat notes in your locker, and your best friend told you it was a girl in your class. Wouldn't you look at every girl in your class and wonder which one did it? Are any of these examples helping, or does it not make sense at all? I mean… Just for a second, wouldn't you think it could be them, even if it was just one fleeting second of paranoia or doubt?_**

**_I think that's why I still have a hard time trusting Everafters. Because I know it's one of them, I just don't know which. I'm so tired of being betrayed, I don't want to trust the wrong person._**

**_I honestly don't think Everafters are evil. I just think some of them are, and one of them is in charge of a group that's caused my family a lot of grief. Once I know who the Heartless and the Master are, I think I won't see them as the enemy as much. I wish I could be like Daphne and see the good in people. I wish she could use her ability to see auras whenever she wanted. We could make her look at all the Everafters and she could tell me which one was lying—which one was the Master. But she can't. And I'm not Daphne. I'll never be that innocent or naïve again. _**

**_I don't really care what you think about me. I have my reasons and I don't need to justify them to you. Then again I think I just tried to, but oh well. I just wanted to write, even though I have my doubts about Puck sometimes (nobody's perfect, least of all me) I trust him with my life._**

**_When it comes down to it, I love him more than I like to admit. He's been with me for some of the hardest times in my life, and he's never really let me down. Maybe Will's information was half-right. Maybe Puck was torn between dying like everyone else and joining the enemy, or maybe he let the Heartless think he'd joined her. He tried to save me, and maybe I sacrificed myself for him, and made him promise to live, any way he could. Or maybe he tried to save me and accidentally hurt me. Or maybe, he hid me away from the Heartless and visited me. Maybe Villain King Puck isn't Puck at all, like he said… Maybe it's someone who just calls himself that. I don't know. But I refuse to believe Puck would ever intentionally hurt me._**

**_And even if he did… My heart won't change. (I don't care how corny this is, who asked you?)_**

**_He loves me. And I love him. No matter what._**

**_Got it?_**

**_Good._**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

Her eyes fluttered shut, and stifling a yawn, she curled up with her journal. She just needed to rest her eyes for a few moments…

***.*.*.*.***

Puck slammed his bedroom door shut behind him, hard enough to cause the leaves on the trees to shake. His expression was stormy - his eyes were literally a dark gray, betraying the anger that rose up steadily inside of him.

The more he thought about it, the more irritated he became. It wasn't like he was ashamed to be an Everafter - he actually loved it. There were a lot of perks to it. Not aging unless he wanted to (even when his body decided he wanted to before he'd had a chance to think about it). Being able to live forever. The wings were nice, too. Really, really nice, actually.

So yeah, some of the Everafters in Ferryport Landing sucked. Nottingham, the Queen of Hearts, Bluebeard (creepy bastard), all of them had major issues. But there were others who weren't bad. Snow and Briar Rose, the old man and Red, the remaining two of the Three Little Pigs - hell, even Charming wasn't a bad guy. Bit of a prick, sure, but he didn't try to kill the Grimms on a regular basis.

The point was, there were good Everafters and bad Everafters, and it ticked Puck off that Sabrina was using 'Everafter' as a reason for someone turning into the Heartless. As if that alone was the cause.

Then again, maybe he was overreacting. Maybe Sabrina hadn't meant it the way that it had sounded… in fact, she was probably thinking it over right now in her room. Any minute now he'd hear a knock on the door and she'd be coming in to apologize.

He turned to look at the door with an expectant look on his face.

And it remained silent.

Puck waited there, near the door, sitting on a log near the start of the path to the tree house with a darkening look on his face. It was several hours before he resolved himself to the fact that Sabrina wasn't coming to apologize that night, that she wasn't having a change of heart or admitting that she was wrong.

And that, more than anything, fed the anger that rolled inside of him like a growing storm.

***.*.*.*.***

Sabrina sighed warily the next morning, a look of remorse on her face. She'd meant to apologize to Puck after writing her entry, but she'd fallen asleep. Thankfully, she hadn't dreamt at all.

"You're up early."

Sabrina yelped and nearly jumped out of her slippers. "Holy crap!" She whirled around and glared. "Kerdy, don't you have a home to go to?"

Kerdy shrugged. Cory was nestled in the crook of his arm. "I slept on the couch in the living room. Daphne didn't want me to leave. Cory slept on my face. Not sure how he got there, but I didn't suffocate, so I don't mind. You okay?"

Sabrina bit her lip. Then she shrugged. "I'm fine. Puck and I had a fight yesterday, that's all."

"Well, good luck then," Kerdy said. "I'm gonna go wake Daphne up when breakfast is ready."

"Sure," Sabrina murmured. "I'll see you there."

Without knocking, she opened the door to Puck's bedroom and stepped inside. The familiar path stretched out in front of her, and without looking back at the shutting door, she headed for the tree house. It had rained in his room the previous night, so her slippers sloshed a bit in mud and wet grass, the bottoms of her light green pajama pants getting wet.

"Wonderful," she muttered sarcastically, hugging her pajama top close. She fiddled with the buttons while she walked, realizing with a mortified blush that her camisole was one of the ones Puck had put his face on, with a big "I heart Puck" speech.

By the time that was fully hidden and covered, she'd reached the trampoline. The trampoline was, for some odd reason, the only area of the room that hadn't become soaked with water - it was perfectly dry.

So was, for that matter, the boy lying on his back in the middle of the trampoline. He had his arms tucked behind his head, and he was staring moodily up at the sky.

"Oh, you're up," Sabrina remarked in surprise when she got close enough to see him. "Good, I didn't really want to wake you if you were asleep."

He didn't turn to face her and greet her, though he did glance over in her direction. "Oh," he said. "You're here." His tone was hard.

"Yeah," Sabrina murmured, flinching at his tone. "I want to talk to you about last night."

"What about?" Puck asked. "You want to tell me again how Everafters can't be trusted?"

Sabrina sighed in irritation. "Don't be an ass, Puck. That's not what I meant and you know it."

"Then how did you mean it?" Puck asked, sitting up and looking at her. His eyes were still the same stormy gray they'd been all night.

Sabrina frowned at him. "Look... This thing with Everafters, it's not that I hate them all or anything. It's just that I can't trust most of them yet... Not until-"

"Until when?" Puck demanded. "Until they get up and throw you a bloody party? Hang a banner and beg forgiveness?"

Sabrina stared at him, startled that he'd cut her off. Then her cheeks flushed in anger. "You're a jerk, Puck," she said coldly.

"Obviously," Puck snapped. "But at least I'm not apologizing just for the sake of saying that I'm sorry."

Sabrina's cheeks were burning by this point. She had to blink back the sting in her eyes. "Ya know what, Puck? Nevermind."

She turned and headed down the path, hugging herself tightly.

Puck didn't try to stop her. He just got to his feet, standing in the middle of the trampoline with his arms crossed over his chest, glaring up at the trees like it was their fault he was fighting with Sabrina.

Not once did it enter his mind that her apology might have been sincere. As far as he was concerned, if she was sincerely sorry, she wouldn't have waited until morning to tell him.

Sabrina stormed out of the room, getting mud up to her knees in the process. She was glad Kerdy wasn't outside when she left; he'd only ask her what happened. Ten minutes later had her changed into fresh and clean clothes, slinging her backpack over her shoulder and heading down the stairs to go to William Charming's house. She didn't want to stay home at all.

"Sabrina?" Daphne looked at her sister in confusion, seeing her storming down the stairs. She seemed a little sleepy, a waffle in one of her hands. Her hair was in double braids, and she still wore her pajamas. "Where are you going?" She looked behind Sabrina, but she didn't see Puck anywhere.

"Out," Sabrina said simply. "I'll be back later." She shut the door behind her before Daphne could ask anything else.

Daphne blinked, staring at the shut door in confusion. Then she bit her lip and looked back up the stairs. Still no Puck.

"Uh oh," she whispered.

"Something wrong, Princess?" Kerdy asked, walking up behind her with Cory in his arms. The boy refused to remove his face from Kerdy's arm, so he couldn't put him down.

"Puck and Sabrina," Daphne said worriedly. She looked at Kerdy. "I think they're fighting. Sabrina just left and I could tell she was mad, and Puck's nowhere in sight."

Kerdy sighed. "I was worried about that. They've been disagreeing lately."

"They have?" Daphne asked. "But don't they usually make up?" Her eyes took on a hopeful light - she wanted Puck and Sabrina to make up.

"I'm sure they will," Kerdy reassured her. "Don't they always?"

Daphne nodded slowly, but she still looked unsure. "Sabrina looked really mad though," she whispered.

"Doesn't she usually?" Kerdy joked, reaching out to ruffle her hair.

At the gesture, Daphne blushed, and she looked up shyly. "Yeah," she admitted with a nod. "I guess we should just give them some time."

***.*.*.*.***

Time seemed to do more harm than good. After the argument in Puck's room, the two couldn't be in the same area without arguing. Neither wanted to back down, and the two times Sabrina tried, Puck made her so angry she simply left the house. Even if one tried to ignore the other, one of them would say something that set one or both off, and it turned into a yelling match. Sabrina was usually the first to raise her voice.

It didn't help things that she seemed to go to either Will or Mirror to talk about her problems. Puck didn't like her being around Will so much, and the fact that she wrote about trusting Mirror unconditionally in the same entry where she wrote about not trusting him still stung.

After a week of non-stop fighting, (and not the fun fight-then-kiss-and-make-up kind) everyone in the house was wary of them. Sabrina's foul moods often made Cory cry or Red hide behind Mr. Canis, and no one was exempt from Puck's temper. It got to the point where Cory was afraid of them both, just hiding with Daphne. Even Kerdy didn't like being around them--his visits to the Grimm house became shorter and shorter.

Daphne kept Cory with her as much as possible, wanting to make sure that Sabrina and Puck didn't scare the little boy indefinitely. She tried not to be in the room whenever possible when there was an argument - seeing Sabrina and Puck, who were supposed to be madly in love, yelling at each other that way made her want to cry.

Whenever Kerdy did come over, Daphne spent as much time with him as she could, and she tried to visit him more than he visited the Grimm house these days - she didn't blame him for not wanting to be around Puck and Sabrina.

Mr. Canis rarely let Red out of his sight - and in Sabrina's increasing temper, he felt wary about leaving Red alone with her. He was just as wary about Puck - if anyone tried to talk to him after an argument, he never hesitated to verbally bite their heads off. And Henry didn't know what to do about it - nothing seemed to be working out between the two, and the house was becoming a warzone. Even Relda in her infinite patience was beginning to lose it.

***.*.*.*.***

"Yeah? Well you... You have a freaking ugly face!" Sabrina shouted up the stairs, stomping towards the door. That morning, she'd run into Puck in the hallway. Her attempt to talk with him had turned into another 'you're racist' VS 'you're not listening' argument. Naturally, this led to personal attacks on appearance, voices, or anything short of 'your mom' insults.

"Your hair looks like it came out of a bowl of spaghetti!" Puck shouted after her.

Red cringed at the breakfast table, putting her hands over her ears. She wished she were Daphne--the other girl had gone to Kerdy's house the night before, and had slept over with Gerda and Veronica's permission. The shouting woke Cory, who had been napping in Veronica's arms. He immediately started to blubber and whimper.

Henry stood up, going over to Veronica and Cory. "This is getting ridiculous," he muttered. Not to mention, the taunts seemed more juvenile, despite how much animosity each held.

Mr. Canis reached over and put his hand gently on Red's shoulder, pressing his lips together in a tight line, while Relda grimaced.

"GO TO HELL!" Sabrina shouted as her final insult of the fight, squeezing her bracelet and tugging it hard enough to send him down the stairs if he didn't grab onto anything.

Two thuds indicated that he'd gone down two steps before grasping the banister. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?" Puck shouted, outraged.

The slamming door was the only answer as the glimmering cord vanished from their bracelets.

Puck could be heard muttering to himself at the top of the stairs as he picked himself up. That stormy look was back, and up in his room was the distant rumbling of thunder. He clenched his jaw, and reached for the bracelet as if to take it off.

But his hand stopped just short of it, and then he lowered it and turned to go back upstairs. He needed to fly.

***.*.*.*.***

"Jerk, jerk, jerk, jerk, jerk, jerk, jerk!" Sabrina cried, kicking a rock. The rock skittered and hit a car's tire, bouncing off. She swiped the back of her hand over her eyes, collecting any stray tears that had gathered. "Why can't he just listen to me?"

"Trouble in paradise?"

Yelping, she tripped and almost fell right on her face. A pair of strong arms caught her, hauling her back up and setting her on her feet. Her cheeks burned, anger momentarily forgotten. "Thanks, Will."

"I was stopping by to see if you wanted to spar again," Will murmured, letting go of her. "I'm not satisfied with your defensive abilities."

"Gee thanks," Sabrina muttered, looking embarrassed. She'd been sparring with Will almost every day while fighting with Puck. And she still sucked? Awesome.

"I just mean I don't want you getting hurt. I like you, Sabrina Grimm. You have spirit and you have a strong sense of leadership. You remind me of me, before the tragedies." Will glanced off into the distance. "It would be a shame for your life to end."

"…Well, thanks," Sabrina murmured. "I don't want to die either. Do you really think it'll help?"

"I hope so," Will said, walking down the sidewalk. She followed him automatically, glancing at him. He blended in so well, he could have been a regular guy. It was hard to believe the only difference in him was the fact that he wore one of William's outfits rather than his battle armor.

"Hey Will?" Sabrina murmured, looking up.

"Yes?" He turned to her, blue eyes concerned.

"Something's been bothering me about this whole time-travelling business anyway," Sabrina admitted. "I mean… Is this an alternate universe to your future, or is time like… On a loop? I know I made Terminator jokes before, but I really mean it this time."

"I'm not sure," Will sighed, pushing a hand through his thick, dark hair. "If time is a loop, then I already went into the past in my time, and I was unable to change it. I can't think like that."

"Do you think if you stop the Heartless, you might stop existing?" Sabrina murmured.

"Maybe. But at least the world will be safer."

"You're really noble."

"It's in my blood."

They exchanged a look and grinned. "Maybe it skipped Billy's generation," Sabrina joked.

"Gramps has his moments," Will chuckled. "And he must have some good qualities, if Snow White married him."

"Eh," Sabrina shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. Anyway… What if your being here is the reason the Heartless shows up? Or our quest to stop her is what gives her the power? Like those prophecies in the old days—trying to stop it just made it happen?"

"I've thought about it," Will's eyes darkened. "But I don't know. So I have to believe I can make a difference. The difference is, this isn't a prophecy, Sabrina. This is history."

Sabrina shoved her hands in her pockets. They walked in silence for a few minutes.

"Your eyes are red," Will said finally, breaking the silence.

"I'm in love with a first-class jerk," Sabrina mumbled.

"Want to talk about it?"

"Still think he's going to kill me?"

"Yes."

"Then no, I don't."

"Ignoring the problem won't make it go away, Sabrina," Will said, looking to her sternly.

"It's not a problem," Sabrina griped. "Couples fight all the time. Puck's just being a jerk right now, but he'll get over it and eventually listen to me."

"How can you be so sure?" Will asked, heading for an outdoor food place. Sabrina's stomach growled loudly, and she followed.

"Look, Puck and I made a promise," Sabrina said firmly. "We swore to love each other no matter what. This'll pass."

"That's a pretty hefty promise for someone your age," Will murmured.

Sabrina didn't answer him, waiting until they got to the front and placing her order for a burger. When they both had a nice basket of fast junk food, she led the way to a comfy bench. It had been a few days after Will's arrival that she realized he'd never had a lot of the things she took for granted, and lately, they went out to get food a lot between training. "Anyway," she said, setting her basket in her lap. "It might be a pretty big promise, but I believe him, and I know he believes me. I had my moments of doubt, and they're gone now."

"You really believe in him," Will said wistfully. "That's impressive."

"Thanks," Sabrina replied with a shrug. After a few bites of food, she looked up at him. "So what was your wife like?"

"My wife? Why?" Will asked, brow furrowing.

"Well, while we're talking about our love lives, you may as well tell me, right?" Sabrina reasoned. "Entertain me."

Will set his burger back into the basket with a small frown. Sabrina didn't speak again for a little while—it was obvious he needed a moment. When he was finally ready, he sighed. "She was nothing like me. Sweet and strong, with a fiery temper that could take your head off."

He shook his head. "But she was too forgiving. When we devised the plan to come into the past, she wanted to save the Heartless. I humored her, but I could never agree."

"She sounds like Daphne," Sabrina commented.

"With Snow's temper," Will nodded in confirmation. "I noticed the similarity. But there's really no comparison. I'll love my wife forever, whether or not my reality ceases to exist when this is over."

"That's sweet," Sabrina said, patting his arm. "Promise me you're not going to attack Puck again."

"That's a random request."

"Well you got all sentimental and it reminded me—just don't attack Puck, okay? I –will- kick your ass if I have to," She warned.

Will regarded her wryly. "I don't doubt you'll try. But for now, unless he makes a threat on my life, I will not harm him."

"Thanks," Sabrina grinned and snagged one of his fries. "I don't know who the Heartless is, Will. I've been trying to figure it out—and I've had plenty of time to think by myself, too."

"Well, don't give up," Will looked up at the sky. "We'll find her."

Sabrina followed his gaze briefly. _'I hope so. I hope we can find her and put this all behind us. I just don't know how much more of this I can take.'_

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

Sabrina ended up being able to 'take' a lot. Despite attempts to actually end the feud, the fighting only got worse. It would start with any stupid reason and wind up so angry and hurtful that one of them always felt like crying afterwards. Neither of them gave in to that urge, but it was there.

Two weeks worth of fighting. Two full weeks, without a single make-up or apology. It was tearing at Sabrina's resolve, strength, and pride. She didn't want things to continue in such a way. She missed him. Her dreams were still scaring her, and all of her journal pages seemed to be filled with the same thing. Even Will had encouraged her to go 'kiss and make up' after a good sparring match, and on the walk home, she hadn't been able to think of anything she wanted more. She'd never felt more fragile.

He was on the couch when she walked into the house. At the two week mark of their fighting, she'd barely even seen him. He was always in his room when she woke up or got home, and she escaped to William's house to chat and spar with Will. Everyone was still on edge, and to top it all off, no one was any closer to finding out the Heartless' identity. Sabrina just didn't have the energy anymore.

She was tired. Tired and lonely.

"Puck?" Sabrina asked, walking over to the couch to look at him.

Puck had been staring at the television, but he didn't look like he was really seeing what was on the screen. When he heard his name, he glanced up at Sabrina. "What is it?" he asked, an apprehensive tone in his voice. He didn't make any move to greet her in any special way - he just sat there.

Well, it was better than the usual angry response.

She made no move to sit down. "When are you going to forgive me?"

He looked back at the television. "When are you going to get over this whole Everafter issue?" he asked. "I'm not going to stop being an Everafter, Sabrina. I don't want to always be wondering if you think I'm going to turn on you or not."

"You wouldn't even listen to my reasons," Sabrina said, biting her lip. Her resolve was weakening so badly, she was ready promise to hug ten Everafters a day if it meant he'd stop fighting with her. It was a lie, but she would have said it anyway if she'd honestly thought it might help. She at least knew her current words were true. "And I trust you. Completely."

"Do you still think that the things that bastard's been saying are true?" Puck asked tightly. He refused to call Will by his name. He knew very well Sabrina had been spending time with him, and he hated it.

"Stop calling him that," Sabrina said defensively. Automatically. "He's just worried, Puck."

"Stop calling him that?" Puck looked at her, and his eyes flashed. "He pulled an iron sword on me! If he'd caught me alone and off guard, he could have killed me. That's way beyond worried."

"But he didn't," Sabrina frowned a little, unsure of how to react to his expression. "And if you remember, I stopped him from hurting you, didn't I?"

"Yeah, well, you also insisted to his face that I'd never turn on you, but we both know that you're not as certain of that as you claimed to be," Puck retorted.

Sabrina flinched. She hadn't wanted to react that way, but it hurt. She felt completely vulnerable—it was so easy for him to hurt her if he wanted to… "I told you I was considering the options. I thought you forgave me for that already. Or did you take that back?"

The muscles in Puck's body were tense. "I guess I'm not as sure about it as I thought I was," he muttered.

Sabrina blinked back tears. "I've tried to apologize several times, Puck. I don't want to fight anymore. Will you just listen to my reason for still being distrustful to most Everafters?"

"Why should I?" Puck asked, glaring at her. "I know how much you dislike us, and I don't really feel like listening to it again."

She clenched her jaw in anger. His unwillingness to listen at all was making her want to hide her vulnerability. And she only had anger—a sarcastic armor to cover it. "Now you're the one being ridiculously small-minded," she said, choosing words he'd said to her sometime during that week.

"Me?" Puck stood up from the couch. "That's a real laugh coming from you. I guess it's a case of 'it takes one to know one?'"

Gritting her teeth in frustration, Sabrina took a step closer and reached for his hand. "Look, the reason-"

He snatched his hand back in an instant. "I said I don't want to hear it!" he said angrily. "I don't want to hear any excuses!"

Sabrina stared at him, stunned. Her fingers had only brushed his hand. For that brief moment, a spark of fire had raced through her body. Now, she felt cold and numb. She was speechless. The sarcastic anger armor, the vulnerable core—all of it was gone. She couldn't feel any of it.

Puck fell silent suddenly, staring at the hand that he'd just yanked back. It hadn't been intentional - it had been a reflex, the moment he'd felt even the slightest brushing of her fingers. He didn't want to feel that fire, the one that always came with her touch. Not when he was so conflicted.

"So you took back the forgiveness already," Sabrina whispered, trying to keep her voice steady. "What about your promise? Are you taking that back too?"

At her words, Puck tensed again. He lowered his hand, but he couldn't look at her. He had to half turn away from her to keep from looking at her.

"...maybe," he said quietly. "I...don't know."

Sabrina felt like the world had just dropped out from under her feet. She hadn't expected that answer at all. It had been one of those 'oh you think I'm ugly' moments to get the boy to tell her she was pretty. It had been a fish for reassurance. And it had backfired so badly that she wished she hadn't spoken, let alone asked such a stupid thing.

Tears filled her eyes, and she took a step back from him. She wished the door would burst open and the Heartless would show up to put her out of her misery. Her heart was clenching, fissures of pure agony lacing through her body. Every time it stopped, the numbness would set in—it only made the next wave of pain hurt even more.

Sabrina felt herself moving, but she couldn't really comprehend the action. She kept stumbling backwards until her back was pressing against the door. The silence could have lasted forever, and neither one of them wouldn't have been able to leave. It was like they couldn't understand what had just happened.

Then Sabrina found her voice.

"I meant it, you know," she said, voice wavering from just how hurt she was. "When I said no matter what... Even if you really do kill me, I'd still love you. Sucks to be me, huh?"

Before he could answer, she'd left the house again, shutting the door quickly behind her. Even though it was night, cold and dark outside, she didn't want to stay home. She needed to get away. Anywhere but home. With Puck's words ringing in her ears, his cold expression forever branded to her heart… It didn't feel like home anymore.

Puck had heard her words, heard the door shut, and still he didn't move. He stood there, numbly, and it felt just as cold inside the house as outside.

Had he really said that to her? Had he really said that he didn't know? A knot formed in a stomach, and slowly he sank down onto the couch.

Had he really meant it?

He didn't know the answer to that question, either. Maybe Sabrina had been right. People changed. Feelings changed. Had he been wrong all along about her being able to trust him?

What was happening to them?

***.*.*.*.***

She backed away slowly, tears dripping down her cheeks from the scene she had just witnessed. Her short hair was tucked behind one ear with a little red clip, and her expression, which had held so much happiness since gaining her new family, was frozen in an expression of horrified guilt.

_'This is all my fault,' _Red thought helplessly, stumbling away and trying not to make too much noise. _'Will Charming must be right. I must somehow be the Heartless. I'm making everyone fight. They gave me a home and a family. They showed me love, and how did I repay them?_

_I tore them apart!_

_I have to go… I have to get away before I become the Heartless and hurt them all. I don't want to hurt them all!'_

She stifled a sob in her hand, going into her room and locking the door. She was thankful that Daphne had gone to Kerdy's house again. It would be easier to do what she needed to do if she had privacy.

_'I don't want to go…' _Her eyes refilled with tears at the thought. She _had _to go! She couldn't bring anymore pain or suffering to the most important people in her life!

_'If I'm the Heartless, it's for the best,' _she told herself, trying to strengthen her resolve to leave. It didn't matter how strong she tried to make herself. She was still just a vulnerable young girl, trying to hide her fragility and do what she felt was right. It wasn't easy.

_'I'll go away before it happens. I won't let it happen. I won't I won't I won't! And once I'm gone, Puck and Sabrina will make up and be happy… Henry and Veronica won't be so stressed… Daphne and Kerdy will be able to be happy, and look after Cory, and Granny won't have that sad look on her face… The fighting will stop, it'll all be…_

_And Papa…_

_And Papa…'_

Red sobbed softly, burying her face in her hands. She refused to be the cause of the fighting. She refused to be the one to hurt everyone. A moment later, she stood and went to the desk beside her bed, pulling out a piece of paper and a pencil. She had to plan it carefully so that no one would try to stop her.

Once she finished the note, she folded it carefully and promised herself she would go through with her plan.

_'And then it'll all be okay,' _she thought sadly. She didn't want to go. More than anything she'd ever wanted in her life, she wanted to stay with the family she'd come to know and love, the friends she now had, and her new and only Papa.

It hurt even more, knowing that even though she wanted to stay so badly, she would be leaving them forever in the morning.

***.*.*.*.***

"Can't we ignore it?"

Jake gave the best 'you know you love me' pout he could muster. For a moment, it looked like Briar might falter in her decision to make him answer the door. He leaned in to give her another kiss, only to miss when the doorbell sounded again, making her turn.

"Jake…"

"Yeah yeah," Jake sighed, cupping her face in his hands and kissing her again. "Don't move an inch, I'll be right back," he promised.

Jake Grimm couldn't remember the last time he'd gone down a set of stairs so quickly. Especially not while pulling on a shirt. He and Briar had taken the night off from detective work, worrying, stress, and everything else so they could spend a romantic night together.

"Had the candles lit, was totally ready to charm her, and then this," Jake grumbled to himself. Even though he knew he honestly didn't have to work that hard to charm Briar, he liked to do it anyway. So he was scowling when he got to the door, throwing it open. "It'd better be impor…"

He cut off mid-word, trailing off at the sight of his niece. Sabrina's eyes were puffy and red, cheeks damp and shoulders slumped.

"Brina?" Jake asked gently, ushering her inside.

Sabrina bit her lip. "I don't want to go home," she whispered. "Can I stay here tonight?"

"Sure," Jake said immediately, putting his hands on her shoulders and guiding her to the kitchen. "Come on, I'll make you some hot chocolate, and I'll call Hank to let him know you're okay. Do you want to talk about it?"

Sabrina's fingers curled around her backpack strap so tightly that she felt a sting. It was one of the only things she could feel; she was still numb. "No," she murmured after a moment. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Are you s-"

"I'm sure," Sabrina murmured. "I don't need hot chocolate either."

He made it anyway, forcing her to stand nearby while he prepared it. No one spoke while he heated the milk in a small saucepan, or while he located small marshmallows to sprinkle in. Once it was done, he ushered her to the soft blue couch near the TV, forcing her backpack off and putting the cup in her hands. A shocked expression crossed her face at the hot cup in her hands (mainly the fact that it was such a jolting feeling), and she bit her lip.

"Okay I'll drink it," she murmured. "But I'll be fine."

"Brina," Jake said, looking at her seriously. "It'll get better, okay?"

"Where's Briar?" Sabrina asked softly, guessing correctly that Jake had left Briar somewhere and had forgotten to let her know he was busy.

"CRAP!" Jake dashed off the couch, and Sabrina breathed a sigh of relief. She figured distracting Jake with his lovely wife would get him off her back. Jake was too predictable.

Taking a sip from the warm green mug, Sabrina glanced to her backpack. The hot chocolate did wonders to help her feel better. It did nothing for her heartbreak, but at least she had feeling in her hands again.

Setting the cup down on the coffee table, she reached for her backpack and opened it, pulling out her journal. After writing for at least a half hour, she set the journal down and curled up sleepily. No matter how she shifted, she just couldn't get comfortable. Not with the way she felt. She didn't want to have another nightmare, or wake up hoping Puck would be holding her hand, only to find out he wasn't.

Pausing at her last thought, she shifted so she lay on her right side. She examined her right hand—the one that had her bracelet.

Sabrina closed her eyes, moving her left hand over her right and brushing her thumb against her knuckles gently. The motion, though a fake and pale imitation of the one that had comforted her so much over the years, helped her feel at ease. Her eyes fluttered shut, and for the first time in a long time, her dreams were filled with happiness.

She knew she was dreaming—she'd become oddly aware of when she was acting in a dream as opposed to controlling herself in real life. And as Puck held her in her dreams and told her the past two weeks had been nothing more than another nightmare he'd protect her from, she realized the cruelty in her only 'happy' dream. After all, even a nightmare was better than a sweet lie.

***.*.*.*.***

**A/N:**

**Sky: **Kekekekeke. Please review ^^ The more support, the faster you get to find out what happens! Speaking of though, you reviewers are so freaking awesomesauce. The response has been phenomenal, more than we ever expected in this category, and very uplifting.

OH! Also, Ayns and I aren't fighting (much) anymore. XD Best friends fight, don't worry. After all the yelling and hair-pulling, we love each other in the end. That's what bein' best friends is about.

**Thank you to all of our awesomely wonderful reviewers: SeekDreamsAndFindHope, Mystestar, msjezzi-bella, Erin, Trickster Queen464, Grrrgirl1, Schadenfreude62, Blue-Eyes-Lily, Squiggles**(x2! Thank you ^^), **Ascaisil, gothicgal000, silent-entrance, SweeneyToddLover26, emerald rose **(x2 also ^^ Thank you for reviewing, no worries if you haven't til now.), **BookLoverAF**(FFnet is really retarded about eating any name or word with a period in it. Yeesh, what URLs are they afraid of?)**, ILoveGeorgeCooper, Dragonfly**(Why thank you ^^ Charming's soap opera moments are all me, baby! And I hope this chapter clarified that Sabrina is not being prejudiced, per se.), **Taylor Wimbley, Lyla Domae, grimmgirl **(x2!), **DeDe, Aquamarine Jazz, Lara D **(x2, lol I think this is their last mega horrible fight in the entire story XD), **BoOkLuvEr303, broken beyond repair **(600th!), **girl talk **(601! Close, but we still love ya :D And sorry it made you mad, but yay all the same? ^^), **curlscat, iD Sisters Grimm iD, **and the lovely **Viva-Musica!**

Much love, guys. ^^ I'm beaming. Also, sorry on the delay to the one-shots Ayns and I owe. We're so swamped :X **And please be gentle if you see typos, I'm passing out. But I wanted you all to have another chapter.**

P.S. THE DOCUMENT MANAGER IS THE DEVIL. It re-arranged half of Red's scene. I THINK I caught all the retarded stuff it did, but I'm not sure. Grr!

**LUVVIES!**


	24. The Heartless

**EDIT: Sky: Re-Added scene skips.**

**A/N:**

**Sky: **Okay, getting right to the point again. Whee! The reviews have been awesome. **Although just take note, we don't wait for a certain number of reviews, then update.** Getting so many just happens to make us more excited and work faster—it's definitely an encouraged perk!

So, here it is. The revelation chapter. Some of you have shared guesses, one of you has nailed most of it and messaged us. More explanation incoming after this chapter,** Ayns and I hope you enjoy. **(She's asleep, I should be asleep XD)

**Anyway I wanted to keep it going for the readers and in the hopes that we can get closer to 1,000 reviews by my birthday in a week and a half. ^^ **But work is really really busy, so I'm sorry if there's a delay! And sorry to anyone who reviewed and I missed their names in my acknowledgements :X

***.*.*.*.***

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter Twenty-Four: The Heartless_**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

"Thanks, Jake. I really appreciate it," Henry said into the phone, closing the conversation that he'd just finished with his brother. He lowered the receiver, replacing it on the cradle, and stared at it for a moment. Worry lines etched his face.

It was nearly two hours after Sabrina had left the house, late enough for the Grimms to start worrying. Before they could start making calls to try and track Sabrina down, fortunately, Jake had called to tell them that she was safe and secure at their house.

But his words hadn't completely calmed Henry's worries. Hearing the state that Sabrina had been in when she'd arrived had only twisted his stomach into knots. Perhaps a night away from home would be good for her...and yet, he couldn't completely convince himself of that.

He was sure that the tears Jake had told him about had to do with Puck - who had vanished up into his room again, and hadn't emerged. It made Henry clench his fist at his side; to put Sabrina into such a state, the fight must have been especially rough on her. It needed to stop. There had to be some way to make things right between the two of them, but he had a heavy feeling that the only ones who could do that were Sabrina and Puck themselves.

"Henry?" Veronica stepped closer to him, placing her hand gently on his back. She hadn't heard Jake's words, but she'd watched and listened to her husband react. The only reason she didn't have her arms around him was because she had Cory asleep against her chest, tucked into her left arm. "Do you think Sabrina needs us right now, or time alone?"

She wasn't a fool--Sabrina may have been her baby, and there was a lot Veronica understood about her, but Sabrina and Henry were both very similar in that they didn't break down unless it was serious. They shared the same stubborn streak that Veronica both loved and hated. She trusted his opinion on what Sabrina might need.

"I think," Henry said, taking a deep breath and then releasing it, "she needs some time to herself. She's safe enough over at Jake's - I think what she needs is some rest and some time away from everything here at home. What she doesn't need is another fight with Puck tonight."

"He used to make her smile, Henry," Veronica murmured, moving closer and pressing her face against his shoulder. "Their fighting used to be playful. She used to laugh when they were done. I don't like what's happening with them. Not at all."

"Neither do I." Henry turned towards her and wrapped his arms around Veronica, Cory and all. He laid his head on top of hers. "I accepted their relationship because of how good it was for her. Now all I hear is them arguing, every day."

"Maybe we should take a trip," Veronica murmured, relaxing in his arms. Cory blew a little sleepy-snot bubble between them, but neither parent seemed to mind. "I could take Sabrina to New York. Summer's coming up, it could be a nice trip away... And depending on how things happen, we might want to consider moving back for a little while."

Henry paused for a moment, and then he gave a slow nod. "Maybe that would be a good idea," he said. "Puck wouldn't be able to follow her - though at this point I don't know if he'd want to. And she could get away from everything here."

"Daphne would hate it though," Veronica sighed. "But maybe Sabrina needs a break from her, too."

"Those two have hardly been apart in years," Henry murmured. He kissed the top of Veronica's head. "And Daphne's been spending a lot of time at Kerdy's to avoid things here - you're right, maybe they need a break from each other as well."

"Well, I bet almost everyone forgot that William wanted to speak with us all in the morning. I'll ask Sabrina there how she feels about it. Daphne too."

"Mm..." Cory snuggled against Henry's chest and Veronica's, feeling incredibly too warm and snug for his own good. His eyes fluttered open, then playfully located their faces. "Goo..."

"Well, he's not gonna sleep again," Veronica joked.

Henry chuckled, pulling back a touch to watch their son with bright eyes. "We're going to have to entertain him, aren't we?" he asked. "Daphne and Sabrina were like that, too, when they were babies."

"Sabrina never slept," Veronica laughed, bouncing Cory in her arms. The little boy flailed his arms and giggled enthusiastically.

"And Daphne would go full tilt until she finally crashed, and then she'd sleep for hours," Henry said with a chuckle. He leaned down and kissed the top of Cory's head affectionately.

Cory reached up and caught Henry's nose briefly, gasping when it slipped from his hands. He pouted cutely, kicking his feet and reaching again.

Henry, with the patience of a father who had already raised two babies, leaned down and kept his face as close to Cory's hands as he could so that the little boy could grasp his nose again.

"SWEE!" Cory grabbed at him again, poking him in the eye twice.

"You're adorable with him," Veronica said. "Hey, I've got an idea!"

"Oh?" Henry asked, blinking back the reflexive tears from being poked in the eye. "I'm all ears."

"You watch him and I'll go to sleep!" She said brightly, handing Cory over. "Love you!"

"Uwah!" Cory agreed, wiggling.

Henry blinked, but with a wiggling boy in his arms and a beautiful wife looking brightly at him, how could he refuse? "As long as I get a kiss first," he relented.

Cory heard the word 'kiss', and went insane. He flailed his way closer to Henry's face and left messy drool-kisses all over him.

"Well, there ya go," Veronica laughed. "Kiss-kiss, Cory!"

"Kwih!" Cory agreed.

"You're too cute, Cory," Henry said with a grin, managing to refrain from wiping his face from the baby's kisses. He kissed Cory's forehead.

Veronica headed to the bed and plopped down, beaming. "Ah. Sleep. Awesome."

She burrowed under the blankets sleepily while Cory ate up the praise. Henry watched Veronica with affection, and then looked down at Cory. "Let's go downstairs a bit," he murmured, so that they wouldn't disturb Veronica's rest. Maybe he'd get lucky and Cory would pass out again.

***.*.*.*.***

The next morning found everyone downstairs at the breakfast table, with the exception of Sabrina and Kerdy, since neither were in the house. Henry looked as though he hadn't gotten much sleep thanks to Cory, Relda had cooked up a fairly subdued meal with her mind on the meeting that they would be going to soon, and Mr. Canis' attention was fully on Red.

Daphne was pretty quiet as she ate - the more Sabrina and Puck fought with no signs of making up, the more depressed she seemed to get. Sabrina and Puck were pretty much her idols as far as relationships went - she wanted to have one like that, with someone who she could count on always. Seeing Sabrina and Puck fighting... it made her wonder if there could really ever be a relationship like that for anyone.

The other person who was utterly silent at the table was, in fact, Puck.

He hadn't slept the night before - the argument and the things that he had said to Sabrina had played over and over in his mind. And each time they did he felt even more disgusted with himself. And the thing that he regretted the most was not giving Sabrina the chance to explain herself. Instead, he'd shot off his mouth and only hurt her further. At the time it had seemed reasonable. Why did his realizations always come after the argument was over and she was pissed off at him even more?

These were the thoughts running through his head as he stared at his breakfast as though it were the one fighting with Sabrina

"After breakfast, get dressed and ready to go," Veronica said, sitting down near Henry. "We're meeting with William today to discuss some things, and you're all going."

Red glanced up at them, her expression unreadable. She hadn't been silent, but she'd been even more quiet than usual.

Daphne looked up from her cereal. "All of us?" she asked. "Do we have to?" Which was unusual for Daphne - and just showed how anxious and worried she was. Usually she would have jumped at the chance to have a meeting and go over details.

Puck glanced up from the evil breakfast and frowned. The same question was on the tip of his tongue.

"Yes," Henry said firmly. "We're all going - together, as a family. It's time for us to get to the bottom of things."

"Sabrina slept over at Uncle Jake's house," Veronica told Daphne. "But he'll be bringing her too."

From the look on Daphne's face it was clear that she hadn't known Sabrina had slept over at Jake's. Neither had Puck. "She slept over there?" he asked before he could stop himself.

Henry glanced at him, and nodded once - talking to Puck wasn't easy at this point; he was still angry about all of the fighting. "So we're going to meet them there."

"And hopefully come to some sort of understanding on everything that is going on," Relda said, handing a bit of breakfast off to Elvis under the table.

"I think I'd really like to stay home and get some rest," Red murmured suddenly. "I spent all night meditating, and I just want to be alone. I didn't sleep well."

Veronica looked to her for a moment, and then glanced at Relda and Mr. Canis.

Both Mr. Canis and Relda looked at Red in concern. "Are you sure, Red?" Relda asked in concern. "Alone?" Mr. Canis put his hand silently on Red's shoulder, his eyes asking the same question.

"I could stay with her," Daphne said, looking at Red. "Would that be okay, Red? If I stayed with you for a little while?"

Red hesitated. She had to blink back tears at the hand on her shoulder. It made her feel safe. It reminded her that she wasn't alone in the darkness of her own mind anymore. She wanted to throw her arms around him and hold on tight. "Um..."

"Why don't you let Daphne watch over you for a bit," Veronica offered. "And I'll call Jake and tell him to have Sabrina swing by and get Daphne for the meeting when they leave. Then it'll only be for a little bit."

Red sighed softly. "Okay. That's fine."

"The meeting shouldn't take very long," Mr. Canis said, looking at Red. "But get as much rest at you need, Red." She certainly didn't look like she'd gotten much sleep, and it did concern him.

"Okay," Red said softly. She bit her lip, then turned and hugged him tightly, pressing her face into his shoulder. With the wolf no longer warring in him, he seemed like a healthy older man, rather than a tired and beaten one. It was why she could think of him as her father, even though she saw Relda as her grandmother.

Mr. Canis looked surprised at the suddenness of the hug, but he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back. "Do you need anything before we go?" he asked her. As far as he was concerned, Will could wait a bit.

"No," Red whispered. "I just wanted to say thank you for being my papa. I don't think I thanked you before."

His expression softened. "You don't need to thank me," he said honestly. "You never need to thank me, Red."

Red smiled, before pulling back and wiping at her eyes. She looked happy. "I'm going to go rest."

"Get some good rest," Relda said warmly, as Elvis moved to nuzzle at Red's leg.

"Do you want me to let you know when I'm leaving?" Daphne asked, figuring that she wouldn't disturb Red while she was resting, she'd just be quiet.

"Um," Red opened her mouth to say no, but Veronica spoke first.

"Make sure to check on her before you leave," she said, shifting Cory on her hip when he started teething a bit on her hair. "And don't forget to turn off the lights."

Daphne nodded. "Okay, Mom," she said. Red headed up the stairs, barely holding back her tears.

Henry, finished with his breakfast, moved to stand. "I'll give Jake a call so that he, Briar, and Sabrina don't leave before they know that Daphne's still here," he said. He dropped a kiss on top of Veronica's head, grinning at Cory.

Cory giggled and buried his face into Veronica's shoulder bashfully. "Cowa."

"Yes, we'll go see Cassia," Veronica cooed. To Puck, her voice was sharp. "Are you ready to go, Puck?"

Puck grumbled, muttering under his breath as he moved to stand up. "Fine," he said, knowing better than to argue with Veronica.

Besides, after the meeting was over she couldn't tell him what to do. And she couldn't tell him where to go, either. Maybe he'd take off for awhile - clear his head and think. Maybe he'd talk to Sabrina. Maybe he'd win the lottery. He wasn't sure which was most likely.

***.*.*.*.***

Sabrina didn't really want to go to any meetings at all. She wanted to crawl into a hole and feel sorry for herself until someone cheered her up with chocolate and presents. Still, it didn't do her much good to mope or sulk, so she'd dried her eyes, put on her best 'I don't care' face, and headed home to get Daphne.

She waited in the doorway, arms crossed over her chest. "Go check on Red so we can go," she told the younger girl. "Kerdy's on his way over too."

"He is?" Daphne asked. She hadn't been sure if she'd see Kerdy before the meeting or not.

She stood up from the couch where she'd been writing in her journal, nearly knocking over Elvis - who had decided to sleep on her feet. She set her journal down and hurried for the stairs. "I'll be right back," she called to her sister over her shoulder.

Sabrina nodded, sighing softly. She hadn't really announced her presence, hoping Daphne would finish up soon, but when the girl had continued to write, she'd badgered her for about five minutes before bringing up Kerdy.

Upstairs, the room Daphne and Red used was quiet. Empty. A note lay on Red's pillow.

Daphne pushed open the bedroom door partway. "Red?" she called softly. When there was no answer, she pushed it open further and stepped inside. Only to realize Red's bed was empty, and there was only the note. With a sound of shock she rushed over to grab it, staring at the words.

The note was very simple and very short.

**_I'm leaving. If I am the Heartless, I won't let myself hurt you. Don't look for me, I'm never coming back._**

Daphne stared at the words on the page, and her eyes went wide. Then she whirled around and rushed down the stairs, taking them two at a time and almost tripping at the bottom. Her eyes were wide with panic. "Sabrina!" she cried. "Sabrina!"

Sabrina looked up, eyes widening. "Daphne, what is it?" She ran towards the source, meeting her at the bottom of the stairs and catching her by her shoulders so she didn't run right into a wall or something.

Daphne looked up at her with wide eyes, and then held the note up. "Red's gone!"

Sabrina looked at the note blankly for a minute, then took a deep breath. "We'll find her fast," she promised. "Go get your coat, I'll go get the transportation orb from Mirror."

Daphne looked at Sabrina for a moment with huge eyes, and then she threw her arms around her sister and gave her a tight, quick hug.

She released her just as quickly, rushing to get her coat from her room. Elvis looked at Sabrina with a "do you want me to come to?" expression, his ears perked in attention.

Sabrina had actually reeled from the quick drive-by-ish affection, but she shook it off and hurried from the room, only to return moments later and hand Daphne the orb. "Let's do this fast so we can get her to the meeting."

Daphne nodded, looking worried. "I don't know when she left," she said. "What if...what if she's already a long way away?"

"That's why we have this," Sabrina said, motioning to the blue and white orb. "You use it. Think of any place Red might go when we use it--we'll cover every spot in less than fifteen minutes."

Daphne looked at the orb, and nodded, reaching for it. It was never a question of who would use it - Sabrina simply couldn't risk it.

"What's going on?"

Both siblings turned at the familiar Kerdy-voice. He stood in the doorway, concern on his face.

"Sorry, the door wasn't locked," he explained sheepishly.

"Kerdy, we have to go find Red!" Daphne said with conviction.

"Whoa wait," Sabrina held up one hand. "Kerdy, Red ran away and we have to go find her. Daphne's going to use the transportation orb, and we're bringing her to the meeting. Can you cover for us?"

"Are you sure that's safe?" Kerdy moved forward in worry, touching Daphne's arm. She blushed in response, but she was far too worried over Red to focus on his proximity.

"Yeah," Sabrina said. "Daphne's good at using that thing. Just tell them… Red wants to go to the meeting, but she needs to shower or something. And we'll bring her there."

He didn't look any less concerned, but he agreed. He hesitated briefly, then touched Daphne's cheek. "Be careful, princess."

"I will," she said shyly, looking to the transportation orb. It was like a slightly big and sparkly marble.

She cupped it in her hands, focusing her thoughts on Sabrina, and then tossed the orb down to the ground and shouted out the first place that came to her mind, while Kerdy stepped back. The look of determination on her face proved just how much she wanted to bring Red home.

***.*.*.*.***

The determination had waned after fifteen minutes, as they appeared in another location, only to find it without any sign of Red...again. "She's not here," she said with dejection. "I don't know where else she might have gone."

Sabrina put her hand on Daphne's shoulder. Finding Red was a big enough distraction for Sabrina--it helped her focus on something other than Puck. "Maybe we should go to the meeting and tell them. I don't think we're gonna find her."

Daphne looked up at Sabrina. "But... what about Mr. Canis?" she asked. "And Granny? They'll be really upset when they find out...and I can't just leave Red out here!"

"Daphne..." Sabrina trailed off. "We haven't found her. Let's go now."

Daphne shook her head, looking at her sister with flashing eyes. "No!" she said. "We can't give up looking for her now, it's only been fifteen minutes."

She looked down at the orb, then clenched her jaw and looked back up. "I know another place we can look!"

"Daphne..." Sabrina sighed in frustration. "Fine, but hurry it up!"

Daphne nodded, tossed the orb down onto the ground without hesitation. The place they were going wasn't somewhere that she normally would go...but it was the only place she could think of.

"The Old Asylum!" she shouted, her voice ringing out with determination.

Sabrina had just a moment to register what Daphne had said before the orb ballooned around them like a transparent white and blue bubble. A moment later, they were standing on a hill, overlooking the ruins of an Asylum.

It had never really been taken care of. No one liked going up there. Everafters knew to avoid it, and regular people got a bad feeling just being near it. For that reason, Sabrina was worried. The worry dimmed into mild concern when she realized a little girl was standing near the ruins. She had her head bowed, and she wasn't looking at anyone. There was no mistaking Red.

Daphne's eyes widened when she saw Red, her eyes lighting up with relief. "Red!" she cried, rushing forward towards her. "Red, you're here!" Her voice rang out happily.

Red froze, slowly turning to look at the other girl with wide, tear-filled eyes. "Daphne... Sabrina...? What are you doing here?"

Sabrina remained silent, walking over to the girl much slower than her sister.

"Looking for you," Daphne said. She reached Red and threw her arms around her. "Red, you had us so worried!"

Red made no move to hug the other girl back. Her shoulders shook. Daphne pulled back a little, and bit her lip. "Red?" she asked softly. "Red, it's okay, really."

Sabrina stopped a few feet away, watching as Red shook her head.

"I'm going away," Red whispered. "I don't want to turn into the Heartless. I don't want to hurt my family. Everyone's fighting..."

"..." Sabrina averted her eyes.

"Don't go away, Red," Daphne said tearfully. "You aren't the Heartless, I just know it. Please don't go away, Red, you're part of the family and we love you!"

"I-" Red broke off when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Sabrina had moved closer.

"Red, none of this is your fault," Sabrina murmured. "We don't know who the Heartless is, and if it turns out it was you, we'll stop it from happening. And... Puck and I are fighting for a different reason. It has nothing to do with you... Your leaving would only make me sad. Please come back with us, Red."

Red had to blink very fast to keep the tears back, biting her lip. Sabrina had never said anything so sweet to her before. Sure they were on friendly terms, but Sabrina had never really accepted her as part of the family...

Daphne looked at her sister, and had to fight back from sniffling. She couldn't begin to describe how happy she was hearing that, hearing Sabrina really accept Red and want her back. She turned to face Red again. "See, Red?" she asked softly. "Everything will be okay. You have us. Please come home."

"But..." Red's hesitance faltered.

"C'mon. You're like a sister, ya know," Sabrina said. "Cory looks up to you too. Let's go home, Red."

Her eyes were soft and uncertain--but her aura was completely pure. She genuinely wanted to bring Red home.

Daphne's eyes brightened further, and she took Red's hands, squeezing them. "Let's go home now," she said. "Mr. Canis and Granny and everyone will want to see you."

Red swallowed, then bowed her head and sniffled. "Okay." She squeezed Daphne's hands, before bringing one of her own up to wipe at her eyes with the back of her sleeve.

"We can't use the orb," Sabrina said, holding her hand out to confiscate it. "It only takes two people."

Daphne looked at the orb in hesitation, but since Sabrina said they weren't going to use it, she placed it in her sister's hand. "So we'll walk?" she asked.

Sabrina shuddered briefly, ignoring the happy pulse of tingling warmth that spread through her arm. She shoved the orb into her pocket. "Yeah--it's a bit longer than we planned, but at least we found her, right?"

"I'm sorry," Red whispered. "I didn't want you to worry."

"Don't be sorry," Sabrina gave her shoulder a squeeze. "Just don't run away again. We'll find ya, you know." She smiled, and after a moment, Red smiled back.

Daphne nodded in agreement. "No matter how many times, we'll always find you and bring you back," she said. "You're our sister now, Red. We're always going to find you."

A weight had been taken off of her shoulders when they'd found Red, and she'd agreed to go home with them. She felt happier than she'd been in a long time. Now if only Sabrina and Puck could work things out, everything would be great.

Sabrina smiled at Daphne. _'We found Red, we convinced her to come home... Now I just have to find a way to get Puck to...'_ her smile dimmed, thoughts trailing off and eyes filling with sadness. She turned to start walking, only to reel back from a sharp strike to the cheek. The backhand was so powerful and sudden that it snapped her backwards and made her hit the ground in shock, rolling onto her side.

Red looked up and screamed. Nottingham, Bluebeard, and three other men she didn't recognize were standing in front of the group. Each seemed to be smirking and cocky, and each wore a cloak with a red handprint over the chest. It had been Nottingham who had struck Sabrina.

"Sabrina!" Daphne cried, covering her mouth with her hand in shock. Her eyes widened, and she rushed to Sabrina's side. "Sabrina! Are you okay, Sabrina?" Her tone was frantic with worry.

Sabrina touched her face, stunned and dazed. "Wh..."

She barely had time to think before Nottingham moved forward and grabbed Daphne by her hair, yanking her away from Sabrina and holding a knife to her throat. Daphne let out a cry, but just as at the pool so long ago, she was no match for Nottingham's strength. She froze at the touch of the knife to her throat, trembling with wide eyes.

"Daphne!" Red cried. One of the other men had grabbed her, pinning her arms behind her back.

With a pained shudder to shake off her daze, Sabrina immediately realized how much trouble they were in. _'Puck...!'_ she thought helplessly, reaching for her right wrist.

Something heavy covered her body, knocking the wind out of her. Before she could fully realize that Bluebeard had lunged and tackled her, he had both of her wrists in his grip, her fingers just barely brushing the bracelet.

"NO!" Sabrina cried in fright, trying to get out from under him and get to her bracelet. All she needed was one squeeze, and Puck would be able to find her!

"Leave her alone!" Daphne cried - but she didn't move, for fear that even the slightest movement would cause the knife to cut her. Tears welled up in her eyes. "Don't hurt her!"

Bluebeard pressed his face against her cheek while she struggled, holding her wrists tight. He made no move to restrain her in any other way, just holding her down. Then he finally pulled back a bit. "Rope."

One of the two free-handed men moved forward with thin but strong rope in his hands. Daphne was completely ignored. Bluebeard forced Sabrina's wrists to turn in a painful way, chuckling at her cry of protest and discomfort. He forced the backs of her hands together so that her palms faced away from each other, while the other man knelt and began tying her wrists together.

As this was happening, Daphne and Red were both treated the same, their hands bound in front of them, palms facing out.

"LET GO OF ME!" Sabrina shouted, trying to kick or bite anything close enough. She couldn't budge them at all. They didn't know about her link to Puck, so it was mainly bad luck that they tied her wrists the way they did. Still, it was incredibly efficient in keeping her powerless.

Tears pricked Daphne's eyes - the position was uncomfortable and held her arms and hands in a position that was borderline painful way. "Why are you doing this?" Daphne asked, her voice shaking. "Please, don't hurt us, just let us go!" Even as she begged, though, she knew they wouldn't.

"Make too much noise," Nottingham grated out against her ear. "And we'll kill you."

Sabrina cried out in pain when her wrists were fully tied together. The rope had gone around five times, then twice through the center to hold even more uncomfortably and securely. Bluebeard finally moved off of her, yanking her up by the wrists and shoving her to her sister.

"Shut up and walk with us," The third man said, putting his hand on his hip. He had a cruel smirk on his face, eyes cold and cloak billowing around him.

Sabrina narrowed her eyes, grabbing onto Daphne when she was released. She couldn't twist her hands to squeeze her bracelet at all.

"And if we catch you trying to untie each other, we'll kill one of you."

Daphne trembled slightly, and looked at Sabrina and Red. It was obvious that she was afraid, even though she was trying to hide it. Bluebeard was terrible, but for Daphne it was Nottingham who really frightened her. He was the one who had attacked her openly at the pool.

"What do we do?" she whispered, her voice shaking.

"Don't panic," Sabrina murmured. Nottingham was looking at Red, who hadn't been released.

"You can join us, Red Riding Hood. You're like us--an Everafter," Nottingham offered.

Red shook her head defiantly. "I'm nothing like you!"

"Suit yourself," he shrugged and grabbed her arm, forcing her to Sabrina and Daphne. Like that, the threesome was forced to walk with Bluebeard and the three unknown men in front, Nottingham behind them.

Daphne took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves as they walked. And she tried to tell herself that it would be okay. Kerdy knew they were looking for Red. Surely someone would come looking for them before Bluebeard and Nottingham could do anything. Of course they would.

Right?

She swallowed hard, blinking rapidly to hold back her tears.

After several moments, Sabrina nudged Daphne gently. She'd had her hands near her pockets, but now they were in front of her again. Red was trembling, gripping Daphne's arm with her bound hands while they walked. She was scared. She wanted Mr. Canis to help.

Daphne turned her head slightly, looking at Sabrina with an expression of confusion on her face. She was trying not to be too obvious about looking at her sister. Sabrina's eyes flickered to her hands, then back to the trail ahead without spending too much time on her hint. Nottingham was watching, after all.

Nestled in her hand, barely visible, was the transportation orb.

Daphne's heart went into her throat when she realized that Sabrina was holding the orb. For a moment hope welled up inside of her - but then she remembered. The orb could only transport two people.

And there were three of them.

Which meant it wouldn't work.

Sabrina glanced back to Daphne. Her eyes flickered to Red, and then she shook her head a little. Her eyes said it all--they had to use it and leave Red behind. Daphne's eyes widened slightly, and then she immediately looked straight ahead. Her eyes said it all. She was not going to leave Red behind.

Scowling, Sabrina's footsteps got heavier. Her eyes narrowed a bit. She knew what was best!

Her own thoughts almost made her stop in her tracks. She had vowed never to go back to acting that way...

But what other choice did she have?

"I still say we should kill the two small ones," the one in the lead muttered. He had been the one to speak before. Since he had dark hair and a goatee, Sabrina was calling him goat-face in her head.

"We don't need to kill any of them," Bluebeard said patiently. The tone of his voice made Sabrina shudder, recalling everything Puck had told her about Gilles de Rais. She hadn't been afraid of him for a long time, but seeing him again brought it all back.

Daphne bit her lip, his tone making her shiver, though she didn't know why. She knew he was bad, but why exactly his words made her uneasy she couldn't explain. Then she set her jaw in determination. She wasn't going to let herself get freaked out just by a tone of voice. Then again, she had no idea of what Bluebeard truly was capable of.

Sabrina shifted her hand to aim the orb at the ground in front of them, not quite throwing it yet. If they went home, they could get help and come back for Red. But what if they killed Red out of anger?

"The Master said not to hurt the blonde," one of the others said. Sabrina named him 'Nameless Wonder #1' in her head.

"He doesn't have to know," Bluebeard murmured.

"What?" Nameless Wonder #2 asked.

"Nothing."

Daphne bit her lip hard, hard enough to draw blood, and tried to suppress a whisper. She hadn't noticed Sabrina's movement to aim the orb. All she could think about was the way Bluebeard and the others were talking about hurting 'the blonde'.

"Don't hurt Sabrina," she whispered. She didn't care so much what happened to her; she just didn't want them to hurt her sister.

Sabrina heard it, and her heart clenched. _'Damn it',_ she thought. She made up her mind then, looking down at the tiny marble in her hand. It was the scariest thing she had ever done, and she didn't know if it would even work. She had to hope.

The magic felt so good, she almost couldn't bring herself to throw it down... But she had to.

Glancing next to her at Red, and then to Daphne, both smaller and looking more frightened with their hands bound in front of them, Sabrina lifted her hands. She'd hesitated long enough, pained at the idea of one of them having to stay behind.

Sabrina held the transportation orb up, tossing it down at Daphne's feet a split-second later. "GRANNY'S HOUSE!" she cried, ignoring Red's startled gasp. The bubble expanded almost instantly, too soon for anyone to notice who was in it. They probably wouldn't realize until they reached their destination.

Daphne's eyes widened and she let out a shocked cry. _"Sabrina, no!" _she yelled in protest, already knowing that it was too late, that the spell was taking effect and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

They were going back to Granny's, and they were leaving Red behind!

Goat-face had turned, pushing out with an unseen force to knock Sabrina over in case she was trying to run. He wasn't sure what the bubble was, though he knew he was better with magic.

As she fell backwards and hit the ground, unable to cushion the blow with her hands bound in front of her, her eyes flickered desperately towards her sister, hoping it had worked, and that no one had attacked Daphne through the bubble. Anyone could pass through it, but only two could use it.

Pain lanced through her body viciously, a sharp crack echoing in her ears from her head and back hitting the ground, and all she could do was look up in a daze. It seemed to be slow motion for her, the swirling design of the bubble all around her.

Red's eyes stared back at her, not comprehending what was happening. The little girl was frozen to the spot, practically towering over Sabrina. Her expression was apologetic, pity and remorse in her eyes. She understood what was happening.

_'My dream,'_ Sabrina thought helplessly.

The ball vanished, taking two girls back to Relda's house, while the third was left behind.

***.*.*.*.***

Kerdy fiddled with his notebook, looking around the room. William and Snow sat together, while Cassia and Cory rolled around on the table and played with each other. Jake, Briar, Henry, Veronica, Relda, Mr. Canis, Puck, Kerdy, and Will were all there, discussing Will's lack of success and permanent arrangements for him.

Kerdy hated that he'd lied about Red feeling up to coming to the meeting. He hated that he'd been convinced it was a good idea to let Sabrina and Daphne find Red before anything happened, or anyone found out the girl had run away.

"I suppose I'll stay in Ferryport Landing until I'm sure of the identity," Will said. "Besides, Sabrina could use more help with her sword fighting."

"Sabrina might not stay in Ferryport Landing," Veronica said, bringing it up for the first time to the others. Many people looked up and stared at her

"What do you mean?" Snow asked, looking at Veronica in concern. She couldn't say she was overly surprised by the statement, but at the same time she hadn't been expecting it - not at this point, anyway.

Puck glanced over at Veronica. He'd been staring moodily at the table, only half-listening to anything anyone was saying. It wasn't until he heard that Sabrina might be leaving that he actually reacted.

"Sabrina's not very happy here anymore," Veronica said, watching Cory roll in a semi-circle around Cassia's head. "I'm thinking of moving back to New York for the summer, or maybe even a year, and taking her with me. I was hoping to ask them before we brought it up."

Cassia let out a giggle, reaching her hands towards Cory as he rolled, oblivious to the conversation around them.

"A...Are you saying your whole family is moving?" Kerdy asked, heart racing.

"No..." Veronica shook her head. "Just Henry, Cory, Sabrina and I. We figure Daphne would rather live with Relda and visit."

"She's always welcome to stay as long as she wants, of course," Relda said with a gentle nod and a knowing look in Kerdy's direction.

"Would it only be a year?" Briar asked, holding on to Jake's hand.

"That's all we're thinking about right now," Henry said. Though he suspected that if things remained as they were with Sabrina and Puck, Sabrina would never want to come back.

Veronica glanced at Puck. "I'm not sure how long it'll last. Once Sabrina's eighteen, we'll probably move back--but then it's up to her if she wants to."

Puck was staring stonily back at the table now, not wanting to meet Veronica's eyes - or Henry's, Relda's, Kerdy's, or anyone else's. "So it might even be...three years?" he asked. If they weren't going to move back until Sabrina was eighteen...and then she might not come back even then...

"Honestly, I don't know if Sabrina will want to come back," Veronica said with a shrug. "She only had one reason for staying here, and well... It's an unreliable reason now."

"What reason?" Will asked.

Jake glanced over, stroking Briar's hand. "Puck."

"So you're going to try and say it's my fault she won't come back?" Puck asked, his voice half a mumble.

"Yes," Henry said, his tone sharp, "and don't even begin to think about denying it, Puck. We're all very much aware of how things have been with you two."

"Not trying to place blame, though if I did it would be on you," Veronica said with that 'she's my baby, and I will destroy you' edge in her voice. "But Sabrina isn't happy. I'm going to try and fix that--you were the only reason she wanted to live here, and if she won't be happy with you, then I won't have her stay here and be miserable."

Will glanced over at Puck with a distrustful scowl, while Kerdy fidgeted. At the sight of Will's scowl, Puck glared right back at him. He wasn't going to take that from something like this jerk.

"Has she said anything about leaving herself?" Puck asked, his tone tense as he narrowed his eyes in Will's direction. "That she wants to?"

"Not exactly," Veronica said. "But I think it'll be good for her."

"I agree," Jake nodded in approval. "She was a mess last night."

William glanced at the clock in boredom, then swatted at Cory's hand when it poked Cassia's cheek. Cory bit him, growling like a puppy that had just had his stick taken away. Cassia looked up at William, then put her hands to her cheeks and gave him a wide-eyed "But Daddy!" look. She didn't mind Cory's hand poking at all!

William twitched.

"Sabrina's wellbeing is the most important thing," Henry said in agreement. "If she wants to, then I think this is the only option."

Puck was still scowling, but now it wasn't necessarily at Will. He touched the bracelet, fingering it lightly, but not squeezing it or anything. "What if she says she doesn't want to?" he asked.

"Then we won't go," Veronica said. "But what do you think she's going to say?"

His expression grew darker, and he moved to stand up from the table. He didn't want to answer that. He did not want to admit, in front of Sabrina's entire family, Will, and William, that she'd say yes and that he knew he was the reason she would.

But if Sabrina went to New York, there would really be no reason for him to stick around Relda's. Sure, he couldn't leave Ferryport Landing, but he'd made do for years on his own before.

And a part of him wondered if being away from the town really would be good for her. Humans outnumbered Everafters in the city.

Except that if she left he wouldn't be able to do anything until she came back. And he wouldn't be able to follow her.

And, oh, yeah, the most important fact - he didn't want her to go.

But as it stood, there was no doubt that she'd want to go. And he didn't want to be there to hear her say it. Maybe it would be better if he just took off before she left.

That was right...he could just go. No one could tell him what to do, he was a free fairy. All he had to do was walk off after the meeting; he didn't even have to stop back at the house. Then he wouldn't have to see Sabrina pack her things...and leave for a place that he couldn't go.

"Well, this is going nowhere," William sighed after a moment, patting Cassia on the head, and letting her snuggle on the table with Cory. "I say we end this waste of time and patience."

A giggle interrupted Jake, who had opened his mouth. It sounded incredibly creepy and high-pitched. But it made the blood drain from Will's face, his iron sword appearing in his hand. Briar stared at Jake, for a moment thinking that the giggle had come from her husband's mouth.

Henry, fortunately, knew better - he tensed and immediately looked around, seeing Will's sword appear instantly. Puck felt a wave of uneasiness wash over him as he turned, about to snap at whoever had gave that spine-tingling giggle and at Will for drawing the sword.

Cory looked up, pushing himself into a sitting position. His big blue eyes filled with uneasy tears, and he reached for Veronica.

She took him into her arms, standing and looking around. "What is it, Will?"

"The Heartless," Will breathed. "She's here, and she's already in power. I was too late. It must have been Red. No doubt Sabrina and Daphne are already dead."

A chill went down Puck's spine at Will's words, and he felt the blood draining a little from his face. It couldn't be possible. Not Sabrina. He'd know. Wouldn't he?

"They aren't!" Kerdy protested. "And it can't be Red..." But his voice faltered.

"What do you mean, the Heartless is here?" Mr. Canis growled, moving to stand as he looked around. His senses heightened, trying to catch a scent. But his growl was primarily for Will - at the mere thought that it might be Red. He didn't want to believe it.

Cassia whimpered, and with the loss of Cory she tried to wiggle towards her parents. Snow immediately picked her up and held her close to her chest, causing Cassia to bury her face against her and hide.

William stood, pushing Snow and Cassia gently behind him. He hoped Snow understood he wasn't trying to treat her less than equal--he would shield her and his child with his own body if need be.

As Jake stood and pulled Briar into his arms protectively, the door literally blew apart. But instead of a woman, a man stood in the smoking wreckage. He was tall, his profile muscled and casually dressed. He was standing with one hand outstretched, as if he'd simply put his palm to the wall and destroyed it. No one could get a clear look at him, but Will growled loudly.

"Henry...!" Veronica breathed, moving closer to him with Cory. Kerdy stumbled from his chair, falling on his butt.

Snow didn't think for one moment that William was trying to be the overbearing Man - she just tucked Cassia against her, the fierce look of a mother bear with her cub appearing on her face. Mr. Canis was on his feet, though Relda remained sitting, and Henry pushed Veronica and Cory firmly behind him as William had with his family. Whoever this guy was, he wasn't going to let him near his wife and son.

"Who the hell are you?" Puck asked with a growl. He couldn't do much more than glare, though - Will's sword wasn't close enough to make him sick, but it _was_ making him a little woozy.

"So she's not in power," Will hissed, readying himself for a fight. "You followed me, Villain King."

The man stepped from the dust and rubble, not bothering to answer Puck's question. He didn't need to. Everyone in the room recognized his dirty-blonde hair and his green eyes, so sharp and alert. And as if to mock them, he looked coldly to Will and stopped walking, large black insect wings popping out of his back. He wore a braided bracelet on his left wrist, and while Will had shown up in full armor, Future Puck had shown up in khaki slacks and a sleeveless green muscle shirt.

Kerdy's jaw dropped in horror, eyes going to the Puck he knew.

"....I don't believe it," Relda whispered, a stunned look on her face. And she almost couldn't. It didn't seem possible that the person standing in front of them....

Was Puck.

"What did you say?" Puck whispered, his eyes on the newcomer. He refused to think of him as Puck. He couldn't. _He_ was Puck. Not this...black-winged person.

It had to be some kind of cosmic joke.

"Villain King Puck?" Henry repeated, and he moved more fully in front of Veronica. As he spoke, he could see the familiarity. Yes. This... _was Puck. _

Future Puck glanced around the room, expression hardening briefly. "It seems I should make things quick," he said, a bloody sword appearing in his right hand.

"Don't I get to do it?" a girl's voice pleaded, sounding wistful and pouty. At the voice, his sword vanished.

"Get back!" Will shouted, moving closer with the iron. It had no effect on Future Puck, who watched him coldly.

"Oh... He has his shiny toy," The Heartless murmured, stumbling into view. There was a jerky quality to her movements that made Kerdy feel like he was watching a broken doll try to walk.

"Dear god," William muttered, staring. Will had not exaggerated.

The Heartless stood tall, just a few inches shorter than Future Puck. Her eyes were blood red, looking like they might spill over at any moment. Her pupils were a golden yellow color, long black hair falling in thick waves all around her slender frame. Her black dress had long and flowing sleeves that flared around her hips in a medieval fashion.

The look on her face was not sane at all. She was smiling, but her eyes held nothing but evil and sadistic intent. The sight made Cory burst into sobs and hide against his terrified mother. Cassia let out a cry, not even having to look at her to be freaked out - the bad feeling coming from the woman and the way Cory was crying was enough to set her off. Staring at the woman with wide eyes, Snow hugged Cassia tighter and moved closer to her husband.

Puck stared in disbelief at the woman. He looked at her for some hint of recognition, some evidence as to who she was so that he'd understand how this guy (again, it wasn't _him),_ could have betrayed everyone for her.

But he wasn't coming up with anything but a major creep factor. She wasn't sane. She hadn't been sane for a long, long time.

"You won't leave this place alive!" Will suddenly snapped, throwing a leather pouch to the ground. It melted before Future Puck could stop it, expanding instantly into a secure and magical barrier around them all. The room was sealed.

"I'm going to kill you for that," Future Puck hissed, eyes turning gray with anger. The Heartless touched his arm, beaming.

"Let me do it," she purred. "We'll kill them all. Oh, can I wear that one like a coat?" she looked at Kerdy when she said it, and he shuddered, feeling like a three-year-old rather than a teenager.

"Why don't we take the barrier down first?" Future Puck murmured. "It'll be better."

"No, I want to have fun, dearest pet," she giggled, looking around. Her head lolled lifelessly to one side, as if she made no conscious effort to support it.

Puck's stomach rolled. _Dearest pet? _And the way she talked...moved...acted... It was like some fundamental part of her had been removed and she would never be whole again without it.

And he wasn't even going to touch the Kerdy-coat subject. Too. Creepy. For. Words.

Relda shivered, standing beside Mr. Canis now. There was something so eerie about this girl, but she was so unlike her former self that it was impossible to figure out who she was.

"Are you insane?" Henry looked at Will when he saw the barrier. "You've locked us in here with them both!"

"Would you rather she be unleashed upon the world?" Will hissed. "She needs to die."

"You," Future Puck said. "Are annoying."

Growling, Will charged with his iron sword. With lightning fast reflexes, Future Puck darted forward and caught the blade in his bare hand, snapping it. The motion made it melt. Will's eyes widened, but everyone was just as shocked. Future Puck had simply treated the iron as if it were a child's plastic toy.

Puck felt himself pale, and the woozy feeling doubled - not from the iron, but from seeing his future self melting the iron. It was something no fairy was capable of doing - not even his father could have. His mouth went dry. And there was nothing that any of them could do - none of them had weapons. He didn't even consider his own sword for a moment - wood was so not a match for someone that could melt iron.

"You will never harm her," Future Puck said coldly. And with those words, his hand closed around Will's throat.

Will never stood a chance. The brave young warrior, screamed in agony as he caught fire from the inside out, incinerating on the spot. His ashes scattered before anyone else could even speak. Even Cory stopped crying, simply too horrified.

"Oh god," Veronica whispered, clutching Cory tighter. "Oh god..."

Snow pressed her hand against the back of Cassia's head, even as the little girl whimpered - her mother refused to let her see.

Henry had gone pale. "He just..." He pulled Veronica and Cory into his arms, and Briar hid her face against Jake's chest.

It was too horrible to contemplate. One moment Will had been there, and the next...

"You bastard," Mr. Canis growled, clenching his hands at his sides. He looked at the Heartless. Could it be? Could that really be his Red? The thought made him clench his fists so tightly they nearly drew blood. He just couldn't tell.

Future Puck gazed around the room, then went to the barrier, placing his hand against it. It felt like marshmallow cream, with a sickly green color to it. "Can you break it?"

The Heartless giggled. "Kay. After we have fun."

She advanced on Kerdy, who swallowed his fear and stood tall. Technically, he was in front of Henry, Veronica, and Cory.

"Y-you have to go through me," Kerdy said, trying to be brave. "I won't let you hurt them." He clenched his fists and kept his ground.

She just laughed, reaching for him.

"No!" Henry exclaimed, taking a step and reaching for Kerdy. Daphne cared about Kerdy so much that Henry could never forgive himself if something happened to him.

"Kerdy, move!" Puck shouted at the same time, spreading his wings as if they could actually help him and Kerdy both.

"Wait," Future Puck said, walking over. "Not yet."

The Heartless paused and turned to him, a frown on her hauntingly beautiful and sadistic features. "I want to play with his blood."

Future Puck moved to her, taking her arm and guiding her towards the barrier. "I'd rather kill the Scarlet Hand first, and then everyone else in Ferryport Landing. Wouldn't you?"

"I... Would like to play with all of them again," she said wistfully. Then she giggled. "Pet, you're not making sense. Can't I have one of the little ones?" She turned back to the babies.

The next movement made Veronica's throat tighten in horror. She couldn't feel her own heart beating--the blood had stopped. She felt like she was dying. The realization was worse than any pain Veronica had ever felt.

The Heartless had recoiled, turning to the babies fully, but Future Puck had caught her hand. It was barely visible, her wrist hidden by the fabric of her sleeve--but it was visible enough that Veronica saw Future Puck brush his thumb over her knuckles.

The demented smile slid from the Heartless' face, eyes becoming a little more sane. She turned to Future Puck and smiled, forgetting all about her urge to kill. And Veronica was choking on her own panic, tears in her eyes.

***.*.*.*.***

Daphne was furious when she appeared inside Granny's house. Tears of anger pricked her eyes - she couldn't believe that Sabrina could have done such a thing! How could she have just abandoned Red to the Scarlet Hand like that?

She whirled to face her sister. "How could you do that and just leave..." Her shout cut off in mid-stride, her voice vanishing.

The girl she had started to yell at was not Sabrina.

"Red?" Daphne whispered, her voice suddenly small.

Red looked up at Daphne, her eyes very wide. The orb was broken on the floor--it wasn't supposed to take people who didn't use it, and since Sabrina hadn't come, it wouldn't work anymore. It had cracked clean in half, leaving small blue and white slivers around their feet.

"Daphne..." Red trailed off, tears filling her eyes and sliding down her cheeks. "I... I didn't mean..."

Slow horror filled Daphne, and she brought her hands up to cover her mouth. "Sabrina," she whispered. "She stayed. She..."

She immediately reached down to snatch up the marble-like magical device, and then froze when she saw that it had shattered - it was gone, and would no longer work. Sabrina was trapped. "N-no," Daphne whispered, her voice shaking.

Red sobbed "Why didn't she leave me?" she whispered, looking at Daphne with pleading eyes. "It should have been me! I never wanted anyone to get hurt!"

Daphne immediately reached for Red, untying her hands so Red could untie her. "Don't think that, Red," she whispered. "It's not your fault. It's not." Tears stung her eyes, and she was trembling. "We have to get help for Sabrina. We'll go get help..."

_'Sabrina... Please be okay!'_

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

The gesture made Puck go cold. For him, it felt as though time had stopped.

His eyes were on their hands, watching his older self's thumb graze the tops of her knuckles. It was a hauntingly familiar gesture, and he wondered perhaps if this was what having an out-of-body experience felt like.

And it was just that. It was like he was watching a movie of himself doing that same gesture, one that he had done over and over again. It didn't seem real. He felt detached.

But when she turned to look at his future self, and the touch of sanity appeared briefly in her eyes, he suddenly understood.

He would betray the Grimms.

And it would all make sense.

Because there was only one person that he would turn his back on everything else for. One person that he would make the transition from Trickster King to Villain King, one person that he would kill for. One person...who, no matter what, he would stay with forever. Even if it meant becoming a completely different person from who he had been. In that moment, he realized he could never doubt the promise he made. Even being mad, or having his ego bruised would never skew his vision when it came to serious situations about her.

There were so many reasons it didn't make sense… And he didn't give a damn about any of them in that moment. He could only stare at his future self and the woman who had destroyed Will's world. It was like living in a nightmare.

Time resumed—he heard confused sounds over Veronica's panic, and babies crying from the sense of evil. But he didn't care about any of it.

His mouth was dry, his throat felt like sandpaper when he spoke, and his voice was barely audible. But in the silence of the room, everyone could hear it clearly.

"Sabrina."

***.*.*.*.***

**A/N:**

**Sky: **Omg I need to sleep. So yes, some of you saw it coming, but pretty much only one person figured out the hows and whys. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and please review to let us know ^^

**Thank you so much to all the reviewers since last chapter went up!: (and sorry on the delay for the one-shots) amethystdolphin, SeekDreamsAndFindHope, A CertainPeantButterSandwich, Rainbowofsmiles16, Lyla Domae, Sorry-NotValid, Squiggles**(Some of you leave lots of multiple reviews XD Thank you, but remember not to spam! XD) **Grimmgirl667, Taylor Wimbley, Dragonfly, Lara D, iD Sisters Grimm iD, ILoveGeorgeCooper, Trickster Queen464, gothigal000, Blue-Eyed-Lily, Hypocritically Her, curlscat, emerald and onyx, msjezzi-bella, obsessedwithbooks, SweeneyToddLover26, wormybook, brii, grimmgirl, Schadenfreude62, Syd, emerald rose, chemicalsilver, and amy. ^^**

**Also HUGGGEEE Sorry to the people I've been reading from. My laptop died horribly and it was a huge ordeal, I haven't been able to read many fics at all, or reply to all the reviews. Please forgive me. And if this is filled with typos, Sorry... So tired.. And Document manager keeps screwing with it...**

And Luvvies!

P.S. Fixed all like... 50 of the typos Lyla Domae helped to point out XD Wow, sorry for all the errors, guys! Better now, thanks!


	25. The Beginning of the End: Part One

**EDIT: Sky: Re-Added scene skips.**

**A/N:**

**Sky: **Lots to say this time! **Please read.**

**First of all: **HOLY CRAPSTICKS. 42 reviews in less than 2 days? Oh my freaking monkey, I fell out of my chair when I realized this. We're gonna hit 700 with this one, I hope! As some of you know, my goal is 1 thousand reviews by my birthday (which is August 28th XD So… Let's get close, at least!)

**BUT! If you are an anonymous reviewer, while we appreciate the enthusiasm and the awesomeness of the multiple reviews, we don't exactly want reviewspam for the same chapter. You guys rock, but you only need to review a chapter once unless you forgot to say something and want to add. Numbers are cool for reviews, but it feels like cheating if it's a few people reviewing over and over XD**

**Second of all: If you do not read this, you will get confused. **This next part of the story is going to be a multiple-part story. The chapter will be "The Beginning of the End" but it has a Part 1, part 2, etc. Because we didn't have enough for a full chapter with the current timeline, it got spliced. The first part of this story takes place where chapter 24 left off, but there will be another break and title inserted to explain where the time jump starts.

**All parts of "The Beginning of the End" will take place in Future Puck's timeline, the events that already happened to cause Sabrina to turn into the Heartless. It has nothing to do with the current timeline, where Future Puck is currently at. It's a backstory explanation.**

**Third of all: IT IS MUCH DARKER AND MORE GRAPHIC THAN ANYTHING HAS BEEN SO FAR. **Ayns isn't going to be writing with me on the Beginning of the End plot—I'm writing for every character. She's not reigning in my evil darkness. You can skip the entire Beginning of the End backstory if you want, you won't miss anything vital to the current timeline except for content of Sabrina's journal (You'll understand once you read the chapter)

**Fourth: Another content warning—this chapter (Beginning of the End content, anyway) contains graphic violence, angst, and implied rape. **If you can't handle that kind of stuff, read from the "No Matter What" Title until you see the new title: The Beginning of the End. Then skip.

That being said, enjoy! ^^

***.*.*.*.***

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter Twenty-Five: The Beginning of the End_**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

"Sabrina."

That single word from Puck sent a ripple of reaction through those in the room. It was the last name that any of them had expected to hear in this situation.

But the gentle gesture from Future Puck to the Heartless had been missed by few, and Puck had opened the door that none of them wanted to touch. It was in that moment that Henry would have been content to never know the identity of the woman in front of them, if it meant not knowing that such a thing had ever happened to his eldest daughter. He'd frozen, mid-reach for Kerdy, and could only stare at the Heartless with a gnawing sense of horror.

Relda covered her mouth with her hand, as Mr. Canis placed a hand on her shoulder for fear that the old woman might suddenly collapse from shock. But Relda was a Grimm, and Grimm's were made from strong stock, so she did not faint. She simply stood there, too stunned to speak.

"Where?" Briar whispered, looking around the room. It wasn't that she had missed the clues - it was simply that she didn't want to believe. Sabrina was her niece, Jake's niece, part of their family. She couldn't be…this person, standing at the front of the room with an expression that screamed lack of sanity. She gripped Jake's shirt, but there was no sign of the real Sabrina in the room. "No…"

As another whimper escaped from Cassia, Snow's attention went to Veronica, not to Future Puck, Puck, or the Heartless. It went to the other mother in the room, concern flooding her gaze because she could not begin to guess at what Veronica was feeling in that moment.

Jake's arms tightened considerably around Briar, his expression more adult and serious than anyone had ever seen it. It was hard, knowing Sabrina and knowing her mannerisms, to see the insane murderer in front of them trying to replicate them. It wasn't that Jake thought she was acting... But he didn't think The Heartless could fully act like Sabrina. She could echo the movements and words, but it was... It was different.

"Oh god," Kerdy whispered, frozen to the spot. His attention tore from the happy evil couple, riveting on Puck. He didn't doubt Puck at all. If anyone could tell... It would have to have been Puck.

But The Heartless had heard Puck as well. She smiled in crazed delight, head lolling back to one side and turning until she saw the younger fairy. "She's gone," she whispered happily. "She'll never be hurt again."

Future Puck drew her into his arms and looked coldly to the group. William was probably the least horrified or disturbed by the revelation, or Will's demise. He was simply assessing the situation to see how he would need to protect his family.

Veronica sobbed at The Heartless' words, her shoulders shaking. She had to cover her mouth with one hand, forcing herself not to break down so easily while Cory was in her arm. He seemed to notice his mother was distressed, and he reached up with both hands to pat at the tears on her cheeks.

"Nokwa..." Cory murmured in concern, hiccupping and sniffling.

Henry spun around and pulled Veronica and Cory both into his arms tightly. He looked over his shoulder at Future Puck and the Heartless, a look of fierce protection on his face.

That was _not_ his daughter. It was like she'd said - Sabrina was gone from that woman. His daughter would never do the things that Will had told them the Heartless had done.

Just thinking about it made him sick.

Slowly, Puck stumbled to the table, leaning against it heavily as he stared at the Heartless and Future Puck. "No," he whispered. "No...how? It can't be possible..."

Future Puck closed his eyes. "It's time," he murmured.

The Heartless looked up at him. "But I want to play."

He pulled her hand up and pressed his lips gently to the back of it. The final confirmation slid a little on her arm in the form of an old, braided bracelet. The match to Puck's. "You know I love you, right?" Future Puck murmured, eyes changing to sorrowful blue.

"Uh-huh," The Heartless nodded earnestly, as if she were being quizzed. "No matter what. You promised."

"No matter what," he agreed.

And before anyone could react, his hand tightened around hers, and with a terrible scream, she began to burn from the inside out, just as Will had. It was over before the audience could finish crying out, the ashes swirling gently to the ground. Future Puck closed his eyes, a tear sliding down one cheek. Puck's legs very nearly gave out on him, and he had to grip the edge of the table. He felt like he was going to be sick.

The promise was echoing in his ears - as was her scream. He stared at his future self, numb, his voice coming out hoarsely. "Why?" he whispered. "Why did you do it?"

It wasn't that that...perversion of Sabrina was gone. It was that they had held that promise, his future self had kept it...and then had killed her. Why?

Future Puck lifted his head, looking to his younger self with resentment and regret. "Because she doesn't have to become that anymore."

Veronica grasped at the words, her breath coming out in a pained cry. "What do you mean?"

"I didn't come here to kill anyone," Future Puck murmured, looking to the barrier. "I came to prevent the future."

Puck went still, staring at Future Puck numbly.

"Prevent the future?" Relda repeated.

Mr. Canis narrowed his eyes, as Henry tightened his arms around Veronica and stared at Future Puck. "This can be stopped?" he demanded.

"Maybe."

Future Puck closed his eyes, then opened them. "It's not up to me. The timing couldn't have been more horrible, but I don't remember this happening. That means it can change."

"What do you mean?" Kerdy breathed. "Don't remember this happening?"

"I remember meeting Will. I remember this meeting," Future Puck said coldly. "I remember leaving, hiding like a coward so I wouldn't hear her say she'd go to New York, right after this meeting."

"So time... Basically is on a loop? The Heartless was created because Will warned us about her?" Jake demanded.

"Something like that," Future Puck shook his head. "His meddling in time was part of the same history I knew. But I'm not."

"So you mean that even though Will is always here," Henry said slowly, "you're not. This is the first time you've come here?" He frowned. "How can you be so sure?" Talk of time travel was making his head hurt. And Puck was simply standing there, stunned like a deer in headlights.

"Because I would have remembered this," Future Puck murmured. "Meeting myself. Killing Will..."

"Why did you kill him?" William demanded. "Why not explain yourself?"

"Will would not have hesitated to kill Sabrina," Future Puck said harshly. "The moment he knew what she would become, he would have ended her life, even if I said she could be saved. He was a fool, and I could not allow him to go after her."

"I don't understand," Veronica whispered. "How did you come here, if you didn't…. Before?"

"I remembered meeting Will," Future Puck repeated, his voice softer. "I remember all of the events as if they were yesterday, and not a hundred and fifty years ago. I didn't have the power to travel through time, but she did. I convinced her to chase Will, hoping we would come to this time."

"So you convinced her to time travel you to the past - to this point - and then killed her?" Snow asked softly, stroking Cassia's hair. "Why did you wait, then? Why didn't you just kill her the moment you got here, if you had that ability?" It helped to think of the Heartless as 'The Heartless' and not as Sabrina - it made it easier to discuss her.

"Because I wasn't sure we came in time," Future Puck admitted. "And I'm not sure she can be completely saved. It's not up to me."

"Who is it up to?" Briar asked softly, turning her head so that it wasn't hiding in Jake's chest anymore.

"...me." Puck stared at Future Puck. "That's what you mean, isn't it? It's not up to you - it's up to me."

Future Puck nodded, looking to his younger self for a long moment. "It's entirely up to you. Although if I didn't know myself... And the way you felt about her, I might consider staying and just taking her away to save her from all the pain in the world."

"Why did Will think it was Red?" Jake asked, looking between the two Pucks.

"I have time. I may as well explain," Future Puck murmured, glancing to the barrier. They had time whether or not they wanted it.

Henry took a deep breath. "Then we better all sit down," he said, also seeing that the barrier was in place.

The last thing that Puck wanted to do was sit. In fact, the last place he wanted to be was in that room. He was overwhelmed by the sudden need to _be with Sabrina._

But Sabrina wasn't there, he didn't know where she was at the moment, and that damn barrier wasn't going to let him find her yet.

"Make yourselves comfortable," Future Puck said. But he still made no move to sit with the others.

A few moments later, after Veronica had calmed Cory, and William had hummed a lullaby to Cassia, he turned back to them to speak.

Puck had finally ended up throwing himself into a seat, pulling in his wings, but he looked ready to bolt from the room the moment that he could.

When Future Puck turned to them, he had everyone's attention. Every single person in the room was tuned in to Future Puck, each of them wanting the information. Even little Cassia had taken the pacifier that Snow had given her, and after her father's lullaby, was staring at Future Puck.

"Will was slightly misinformed," Future Puck murmured, a little bitterly. "He was told that Red Riding Hood would be highly influential in the Heartless' rise to power. That she would be the cause, or lead the Scarlet Hand to the Heartless. But this just made people think she was the one who would turn. An Everafter with black hair..."

Future Puck turned to the barrier. "Before Daphne and Kerdy Jr. were killed," he ignored the thud of Kerdy falling out of his chair. "People at least remembered the Heartless had been altered by magic. A human girl with an addiction to magic."

Jake flinched. Briar reached for Jake's hand, wrapping hers around it and squeezing it gently as she looked at him.

"Sabrina," Relda said sadly. Everyone knew about her addiction. No matter what Sabrina did, it was still difficult for the young girl to handle. She wasn't allowed near anything magical by herself. It was simply too risky.

"How was she altered by magic?" Henry asked, as Puck remained silent. Any other time he'd be teasing Kerdy about the whole 'Kerdy Jr.' thing, but this wasn't the time.

Future Puck took a deep breath, but before he could speak, Mr. Canis interrupted.

"Exactly how was Red involved?" he asked. "That she was influential couldn't have been made up - so what was it?"

"She did lead Sabrina to the Scarlet Hand," Future Puck murmured. "Today."

"How?" Veronica gasped. "Red's at home-"

"Faking an illness so no one would stop her from running away. Terrified that she would become the Heartless, desperate not to hurt her family, and praying for the fighting to end, she decided to run away forever."

Kerdy swallowed, getting over his shock and pulling himself back up. "Daphne... And Sabrina--they took the transportation orb to go find Red," he admitted. "Sabrina asked me to cover for them until they got to the meeting, so no one would worry..."

"What?" Mr. Canis was on his feet, his palms flat against the table as he stared at Kerdy. Red had run away?

Sabrina and Daphne had gone after her?

"How long ago was this?" Henry demanded, spinning in his chair to look at Kerdy. "How long did they say it would take them?" Even as he asked the question, in his gut he knew that too much time had gone by. That transportation orb was designed to make travel as quick as possible.

Kerdy bit his lip.

"Don't bother," Future Puck said. "We won't stop them in time. They found Red near the old burned-down Asylum. Sabrina convinced Red to come home. Nottingham and Bluebeard showed up with three others."

Snow paled. "Nottingham and Bluebeard?" She looked at her husband.

Puck jumped to his feet, knocking over his chair so suddenly that it shocked Cassia, causing her pacifier to tumble out of her mouth and stare at Puck with wide eyes. Without missing a beat, William popped the pacifier back into his daughter's mouth without taking his eyes off Puck and Future Puck.

"Bluebeard?" Puck hissed, his wings fluttering rapidly behind him like they wanted to propel him upwards and through the roof.

"Yes," Future Puck hissed the word with more venom than anyone could give him credit for--at least anyone who knew him as the Trickster King. "And you can't do a thing about it yet."

"Bluebeard has barely left his castle in over a year," William growled.

"He left today while you were busy," Future Puck replied sarcastically. "And because there were three of them, the girls couldn't use the transportation orb. Sabrina had it."

"But if the girls had the transportation orb..." Relda's voice trailed off. Two of them could escape using the orb...but would any of them want to leave one of them behind?

"Sabrina used it," Future Puck glanced to her. "Because she couldn't get it to Red or Daphne without communicating, and Nottingham had threatened them both... She used it to send Red and Daphne back to Relda's home. It broke, but did as Sabrina had wished. It left her behind."

"It left her behind?" Puck felt like he couldn't breathe, and he fought back the panic that was welling up inside of him. "You mean she was left alone with those freaks?" He looked at Future Puck for some sign of denial to this, that it wasn't what Puck was thinking.

"How do you think she became the Heartless?" Future Puck asked bitterly. "She was abandoned by us, left to torture and pain at the hands of a sadist, and her only way of escape came from a magic wand one of her tormenters dropped. Once she had the power, she couldn't turn it off. She made sure no one would ever hurt her again."

Kerdy swallowed, hard. "Why didn't she use her bracelet? Not many people know how it works..."

Future Puck held his arms up, turned them so the palms both faced outwards, and pressed his hands together. "Her hands were tied together, possibly by sheer luck, so that she couldn't reach it. Daphne said she tried, but Bluebeard restrained her."

"What do you mean... Possibly?" Veronica asked, voice shaking.

"The Master of the Scarlet Hand told Bluebeard and his bunch not to hurt 'the blonde one'. Daphne remembered it specifically. And after she became the Heartless, she mentioned her secrets being safe with the Master dead. She never outright said it, but the Master is someone Sabrina knew, and may have known about the bracelet."

Henry let out an angry curse at the suggestion.

Puck felt like he'd been punched in the stomach. "Someone she knows?" he repeated. The thought that someone Sabrina knew well enough to have trusted with the knowledge of the bracelet might be the Master...

He clenched his fists tightly, knuckles going white. If and when he found out who that bastard was, he was going to take them down.

Future Puck was silent for a moment. Then he reached into his pockets and pulled out several worn pages. Each had a small dragon coiled in the corner, a specific design from a specific journal.

Puck's gaze was drawn to those pages, and from where he stood he could just barely make out the design on some of them.

"...what are those?" he asked quietly.

"All I could salvage before I had to burn her journal," Future Puck murmured. "Sabrina may have gone insane and lost a vital part of herself, but one thing remained. Will told you that you killed her," he told Puck, not bothering to ask it as a question. "The truth is, you were supposed to. She would kill anyone who crossed her path, except for you. She even disarmed herself, and looked at me, waiting for me to strike. She said it was okay."

His fists clenched.

Numbly, Puck moved away from the table, his eyes focused on the journal pages. And then his gaze lifted to Future Puck's face. "Why?" he asked quietly. "Why would she just stand there like that?"

He'd forgotten that there were other people in the room. He only wanted to hear the answer to his question.

"Because she kept her promise," Future Puck said simply, eyes travelling over each person in the room, and then landing on his younger self again. "She couldn't remember anything about herself or her heart, except that she loved someone... no matter what."

Puck swallowed hard. "And she knew that the one she loved was you?" he whispered. "Even without any of her other memories?"

"Why do you think I was able to melt an iron sword? And why are my wings black? Why would her journal be gone?"

Future Puck closed his eyes. "After the fact, I realized she was trying to make me happy. I couldn't leave the barrier. She destroyed it. Her journal had upset me before her transformation. She wanted it burned. I'd complained about my wings before--the color. She changed it for me. In her own way... She was trying to do things for me the way someone might hold a door open for their lover. She simply had no boundaries or morals to hold her."

Veronica bit her lip, hard. "What's on the pages you have there?"

"The entries right before her transformation. I found her journal, and when I read it..." His voice faltered. "I didn't want it destroyed, but she was adamant. So I saved the pages and burned it for her."

"Can I...see them?" Puck asked quietly. He looked at Future Puck, and walked towards him slowly. The last time he'd read Sabrina's journal had been that horrid night that their fighting had started. He hadn't touched it after that.

Future Puck looked to his younger self. "In one moment."

He looked to the others again. "I know you want to ask why I didn't look for her when Daphne and Red told us what happened."

"There's really no excuse for that," Jake said quietly.

"There isn't," Future Puck shook his head. "Right after this meeting, I left. I flew away without looking back once. She didn't contact me, I didn't try to come back for a week. When I came back and found out what happened, I tried to search for her. By then, she had transformed. Terrified of being hurt by Bluebeard or any other men, she had given in to a powerful surge of magic... She was wandering through town, seeking more. For more protection... When we found her."

He shook his head. "Her mind and body never recovered from the suffering she went through in that week I was gone."

Veronica covered her mouth again, tearfully.

Henry reached for his wife, holding her. "How long do we have?" he asked, cradling Veronica protectively against him. "Before...before she gets to that point? How long do we have to find her?"

"Do you have any idea?" Puck asked in a low voice.

"Where would Bluebeard hide her?" William asked, before Future Puck could answer. "If we knew he had her, I would personally search every miserable square of that castle."

"The years he spent in isolation, he used to make additions. I know where the secret room is. The room from Sabrina's nightmares..." Future Puck trailed off. "The stones she kept seeing--they were from inside the castle. And I don't know how long it would take for her to reach her breaking point, but the moment this barrier drops..."

Veronica took a deep breath. "The idea is to prevent her from being hurt at all. Not just stopping the transformation."

Future Puck nodded quietly.

Puck clenched his fists. "Then the moment this barrier comes down we have to get to that castle," he said. "I'm not going to let that bastard hurt her." His tone was fierce, and it was obvious he meant what he said.

Fighting or not, whatever was going on between himself and Sabrina, he loved her. And he would not let anything happen to her.

Future Puck regarded his smaller counterpart for a moment, then held the journal pages out to him. No one spoke, no one interrupted. Everyone watched for Puck's reaction, many dying to see the pages themselves.

There was a distant look on Future Puck's face as Puck took the pages. For a moment, he stared blankly to his empty hand, recalling the events that had changed his life and plunged the world into cruel torment and violence. It was a sad tale that no one knew anymore. He was the only one.

And it was time more people knew.

***.*.*.*.***

**_The Beginning of the End_**

**_Part One: A Taste of Magic_**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

_'Please don't come back. God, please don't let him be coming back.'_The words echoed in her mind over and over, each chant more desperate than the last. Every last nerve in her body felt sharp. She was sensitive and bruised, and even the feeling of her own clothing scratched at her and made her ache. Her wrists were still tied at that horrible angle, leaving her defenseless and hopeless. The sound of wood scratching against stone caught her attention, and she looked up in horror. "No…"

Her voice still sounded raw from the screaming she had done earlier. It hurt to talk, but she knew she'd be screaming again soon. Not like it mattered. No one who cared could hear her screaming.

She made herself as small as possible in the corner of the dark bedroom, as if she could blend in with the mossy stones behind her and remain hidden. Her bare hands scraped against the wall, forcing a whimper past her clenched teeth.

The light flickered on—dim light from a torch. He stood in the doorway, illuminated by fire and smirking with evil. His eyes found her immediately, and he stepped towards her.

"No," she pleaded, shaking her head and trying to back away. Her bare feet scraped painfully on the stone, but she didn't stop trying to scoot. "Please don't!"

A cry of agony escaped her—she hadn't thought about moving her left foot, but now she cursed herself inwardly in any language she knew, and a few she didn't. Her ankle had been crushed right before… Right before the first hellish experience. He had stepped on it HARD to keep her from getting away, and she didn't think it was going to heal correctly.

He moved closer, grabbing her arm and hauling her up, ignoring the scream of sheer pain that came from her at the pressure to her foot, not to mention moving her legs. With a desperate burst of strength, she swiveled her body to the side while he held her, bringing her left knee up into his unprotected groin as hard as she could manage. The movement sent a fresh tearing sensation through her body, but she barely felt it over the white-hot agony in her ankle.

With a shout, he let go of her and cradled his offended appendage, sinking to his knees. One of his hands shot out to grip the metal bed frame, as she slammed face down to the floor. Her leg hurt far too much to attempt using it, but she didn't care. The door was still open, rather than shut and locked from the outside. She had a chance!

Sobbing softly, she jerked her arms up and hit her elbows against the ground as far from her upper body as possible. She used them as leverage to drag herself closer, pushing at the uneven stones of the floor with her right foot. The wetness soaking into her jeans felt warm and uncomfortable to her thighs. She was bleeding again—moving so much had been bad.

She didn't care.

Her arms crossed the doorway, and with a sob of adrenaline and fear, she hauled herself halfway out. That was when the worse sensation of pain hit—one of his hands clamped down on her broken ankle.

"NO!" She gripped the wall, hooking her fingers on the uneven stones, but his strength was greater. With a sharp tug, she was scraping backwards against the floor, unable to struggle.

His other hand fisted into her long blonde hair, which had tangled considerably. His eyes were pure evil as he gazed down at her, smirking. Even in the dim and fiery light, she could see the blue of his facial hair. His namesake.

"I can make it hurt more. Don't push my patience."

She turned her head away with a sob, refusing to give in. His lips skimmed her damp cheek, resting at the hollow of her throat. She felt his body shudder against hers, a soft groan escaping him.

"NO!" she cried again in fear, memories assaulting her. The first time. The second time. She didn't want it to happen again. She didn't!

She jerked her body again, bringing her bound hands up to shove at his face. She tried to dig her fingers into his eyes—any form of defense she could think of. But he was stronger, faster, and prepared for her weak attempts. With a grunt, he hauled her up onto the bed, pinning both of her hands by the rope connecting them.

The door swung shut, but everybody in the castle could hear Sabrina Grimm's tortured screams.

And none of them cared.

***.*.*.*.***

Sabrina stopped counting the days. Help wasn't coming.

She lay on the ground, broken and trembling. It hurt too much to move. Much more than it had hurt after the first time. Her bruises were yellow at the edges, black in the center, and her lip was constantly bleeding. Every time she shifted positions, something else would hurt and she would bite her lip, splitting it again.

No one was coming.

She'd stared at her wrists blankly for hours on end, waiting for it. Waiting for that glimmering thread of hope to rescue her. Puck was mad, but like every time, if she was in trouble, he'd come for her. He always did.

The hours went by.

No one was coming.

Why hadn't he realized she was missing and activated their bracelets? Was he hurt? Had the meeting gone badly? Had Will hurt him?

Did he hate her?

Her eyes flickered to the door in alarm at the sound of footsteps, but they passed. She relaxed her muscles a little.

No one was coming.

It didn't matter how many times she reminded herself. She still stared at her bracelet, silently pleading with it to activate.

She could survive. She could handle it. All she had to do was live long enough to get back to her family. She wouldn't let herself be a victim forever. She wouldn't allow Bluebeard's violation of her body and mind to control her life. She would move on with help. She just needed someone to come for her.

No one was coming.

Tears filled her eyes, sliding down her cheeks with no signs of stopping. She wasn't ready to die, and she wasn't going to let Bluebeard hurt her forever.

_'Someone please… Anyone…' _She closed her eyes tight. _'I'll do anything to get out of here. I'll do anything at all, please… Someone help me. Puck, I love you, please come find me… Please…' _

No one was coming.

***.*.*.*.***

The door opened.

At once, Sabrina jerked awake in fear. She'd lost track of how long she'd been captive. She no longer measured in increments of minutes or days. She only knew how often she was hurt and how often she was alone.

The man who entered the room simply waved one hand, and the entire space was illuminated. It was Goat-face.

She no longer called him that to his face. The first time she had said it, he had punished her terribly.

"You're awake. Good."

She didn't answer, turning her face away.

"You look just like her, you know," he muttered, pulling a wand out. "Remember this?"

Sabrina turned, then shuddered in fear at the sight of the wand. He had used it before to inflict terrible pain on her. He'd bragged that he'd burned her alive in her mind, frozen her, and made her feel as if each of her limbs had been severed. Her dreams had given her a taste of his abilities in the past, but nothing really compared to the horror of actually experiencing it. Sometimes she prayed for death just to escape it, even though she wanted to survive.

"Why?" Sabrina whispered, trying to back away. "What did I ever do to you?"

"You Grimms," he shook his head. "You're just like that Fairy Godmother. Meddling. Sticking your noses where they don't belong. It doesn't help that you happen to look just like my Princess."

Sabrina huddled in the corner. "I don't know who you are or what you're talking about," she whispered, voice cracking in pain.

"Too good to read about the Wizard King? Self-absorbed little brat," he pointed the wand at her. "Truthfully, I don't need a wand. But it does help me stay focused. And it helps my power. Tell me, how does this feel, Sabrina?"

Before she could react, the arc of magic soared right into her. The pain was instantaneous. All of her bones felt like they were being broken, but no matter how hard she screamed or how she tried to stop the pain, it kept coming. She was sure she was going to lose her mind, about to sob for him to kill her, when the pain stopped.

The moment it stopped, a new pain started, this one so intense she couldn't form words in her panicked screaming. She didn't notice her fingernails broken and bleeding from clawing at the wall and floor, and it wasn't long before she'd thrashed and jerked until her body was really physically hurt worse. She heard him talking, but she couldn't fully understand his words. She didn't know why he was obsessed with some Princess she resembled, or why he had sworn revenge. She wasn't even sure he remembered she wasn't the Princess. He was clearly a less-than-well-known Everafter, with a lot of pent up anger that he was taking out on her.

It hurt. Everything just hurt. Her body was thoroughly violated, she was positive she'd been abandoned, and she had no hope left in her. Her heart felt like it was being crushed, reminding her that one person could have found her at any time if he'd cared to.

The pain stopped. Rather, dimmed until she could tolerate it again. Her eyes fluttered open, and her first thought was that she'd finally died. It was only a temporary reprieve. The Wizard King AKA Goat-face had moved to her side, picking her up and depositing her on the bed with a fake tenderness that Bluebeard had never even bothered trying to use.

"I suppose my old friend had the right idea," he murmured, setting his wand on the nightstand. "I have been pretty lonely lately."

Sabrina tensed in fear, feeling his hand brushing over her hip and onto her stomach. She didn't move a muscle, though every inch of her body demanded she scream and fight him. The tears came next. She knew what would happen. The awful feeling of violation, the tearing pain and the weight, pinning her in her own private hell…

_'No,' _she thought, staring at him in horror as he began to disrobe. _'No more…'_His hands were efficient in un-looping each button from his shirt. He removed it. _'No,' _she whispered to herself again, shifting onto her side a little. He wasn't paying attention to her, knowing she wasn't strong enough or able to get away.

_'Somebody please stop him! I don't want to be hurt anymore, DON'T LET HIM HURT ME!'_She pushed herself up on her bruised and sore elbows, looking for any kind of opening. He was going to hurt her. She had to stop him! Her eyes flickered to the nightstand. It was barely within reach… And nestled safely on top was the wand he had been using to hurt her.

_'It's magic, you can't,' _part of her mind tried to rationalize.

_'He's going to hurt you!' _another part screamed in desperation.

_'It's so risky…'_

_'HE'S GOING TO HURT YOU!'_

_'You don't have any other choice,' _she heard herself say in her mind, trying to reason with the part of her that was afraid of using magic, and the part that was just plain afraid.

_'Just one quick taste of power, and nothing more!'_Her eyes flickered back to the man as her fingers grazed the wand. He was still undressing. His hands went to the waistband of his jeans, and with a silent sob of fear, she clutched the wand in one hand. That image had been the deciding factor. She could hear and see Bluebeard's face over hers, awful sounds coming from him while her body suffered. All at once, the rush of power raced up both arms, warm and tingling. The power was there—it was safe. It would protect her. There was _nothing _wrong with a little magic. It made Bluebeard's face go away.

_'Puck,' _she clutched the wand tightly, turning back to the Wizard King. "Stay back," she whispered out loud, holding the wand up at the best angle she could. It was pointed at him.

He paused, then scowled at her. "You don't even know how to use that. It's not a toy, put it down."

When she didn't comply, he reached out to snatch it, with all the exasperation of a parent trying to teach a child not to play with a sharp object.

All Sabrina saw was his hand coming towards her. The fear of being touched by him overrode all other common sense or thinking. "NO!" Her scream was shrill and backed by power. The wand pulsed in her hands, coating her in warmth. It was soothing, blanketing her from the world with the faint scent of pine.

The entire room became a soft shade of green. The bed was warm and thick instead of hard and cold, and she sank into it a little. It was like napping in a large bowl of heated pudding.

_'Where did he go?' _she wondered, nestling in the comfort. It eased the pain from all of her wounds, wrapping around her. _'Oh well…'_She had never felt stronger in her entire life. Everything was going to be okay. She knew it would be. There was no reason why she couldn't just use a little bit more magic to free herself, heal up, and find home. "Just a little more," she whispered, clutching the wand. Her wrists came untied. The green energy surrounding her healed up all of her injuries, filling her with another joyous rush. She didn't want to let go of the wand. It was so wonderful…

Sabrina closed her eyes, pulling the wand close as if it were a teddy bear or security blanket. She held it to her chest and sighed softly in relaxation. Her body had been broken for so long, it felt strange to be whole again. But that was how she felt. Whole…

The ripping pain in her chest made her eyes fly open. She wasn't whole. She was still missing something important.

Puck hadn't come to help her. No one had come to her aid. They had abandoned her to hellish torment and violation. She had been used violently and mercilessly, punished simply for looking like a princess, or being a Grimm, or just catching the eye of the wrong person. She didn't know who the Master was, but they had requested her unharmed. They hadn't listened.

It was like she no longer belonged to herself. She would never be the same again. The damage was permanent. The only one who could have helped her heal didn't want to be anywhere near her.

_'But I love him,' _she whispered to herself. _'No matter what.'_The pain worsened.

"Please," she rasped, her voice hoarse from all the screaming she'd been doing in the past week. "Please stop… No more pain…"

The tears came faster, soaking her cheeks and the stray locks of hair that fell there. "I don't w-want to be hurt anymore," she pleaded.

The wand pulsated again, another injection of pure warmth and joy racing through her. With a happy sigh, she opened her eyes. She wasn't sure where she was, or really who she was. She didn't want to stay in the room she was in, but she wasn't sure where to go once she left. Her eyes scanned the room curiously.

She was still on Bluebeard's bed, wearing her blood-stained and ripped clothes. Her wrists were untied, but she didn't care. She stood slowly on her newly healed legs, looking around the room still. The roots of her hair had darkened, turning completely black all the way to her chin. There was a red tint in her eyes.

"Oh!" She gasped despite herself at the sight that greeted her. Pieces littered the floor and walls. In fact, some pieces seemed to be stuck to the ceiling as well. Had she killed him? When?

She wasn't sure. But Goat-face was dead. He wouldn't hurt her again.

A delighted smile lit her face. Sabrina was giddy with relief. He was dead! She was strong enough to kill him, and he could use magic without a wand!

Her bare feet were cold against the warm, damp stones. With a curious tilt to her head, she looked down to see that the walls of the room were soaked with blood. It was pretty.

Still smiling, she walked to the door and exited the room, holding her beloved wand in her right hand. Part of her mind tried to remind her that the wand could be addicting to her.

"Just a bit more," she murmured in a dazed voice. "Just one more taste, and that's it."

***.*.*.*.***

She wanted to sing with joy. There had been four more on the way to the tormenter she wanted to destroy. Each one had left her with a new rush of happiness and comfort, adding power to her supply. One of them had been golden-haired with a pretty pink dress. Sabrina wasn't sure who she was, but the magic had been delicious.

She looked to the wands in her hand. There were too many now.

A frown touched her features, which had begun to warp with the amount of magic and dark arts she'd absorbed. Then a smile lit her face, and she clutched them tighter. The answer was so simple. Absorb more! With a happy moan of relief, she began to suck the magic from the wands in her hands, feeling it race up her arms and through her entire body. Once they were completely drained, she let the useless sticks fall to the floor, clacking against the stones.

She giggled, stepping over them and continuing on her way. Her eyes were wide with delight and excitement, magic racing through every inch of her body, and the air around her.

It felt so good, she never wanted it to stop.

_'If I have more, I can protect myself better. Oooh, what a good idea! After I'm done here, I'll go find more…'_That thought in mind, she went to the master bedroom, placing her hand on the door. A giggle of delight burst past her lips when the door exploded, raining splinters and bits of metal all around. None of it came within an inch of her smooth skin.

"What the hell?" Bluebeard jumped up from where he'd been resting casually on his bed, his eyes wide with shock.

Sabrina smiled at him. He didn't scare her anymore.

"You won't hurt me again," she giggled, holding her hand up. He didn't even have a chance to react as he was torn limb from limb, splattering the walls and bed red with his blood. The sight caused another rush of reassurance and joy in her. No one could hurt her!

But what if others had magic? What if someone found a way to hurt her? She had enough, but…

"Just one more," she murmured, heading back the way she'd come. "One more taste, I promise…"

Her eyes fluttered shut. The tingling sensation spread to each of her fingers, forming a small red glow. When she opened her eyes, the glow had moved from her, forming a ball in front of her. It floated away, leading her to the closest source of power. Hair half black, eyes half red, and expression crazed with relief and power, Sabrina Grimm walked barefoot from Bluebeard's castle, following the red orb. There was an entire town of power near her, and she wanted it all. One taste at a time.

***.*.*.*.***

**A/N:**

**Sky: **Phew. I get to write a lot by myself for this XD And since I posted before Ayns got home from work, there may be some typos. Feel free to let me know in a review or PM and I will go in to fix 'em.

I'm also doing the whole Beginning of the End saga by myself so Ayns doesn't get burned out. I've been pushing her a little hard to write more of this because the reviewers have been awesome. So now, I will push myself! XD

**Thank you so much to all the reviewers since chapter 24 went up ^^: SeekDreamsAndFindHope, emerald rose, A CertainPeantButterSandwich, Grimmangel, Reader, Sabrina Grimm, DragonFly7312, curlscat, BookLoverAF, DeDe, HoLlIwOoDbOuNd13, Taylor Wimbley, ILoveGeorgeCooper, iCheer36, Squiggles**(x2), **book monster, Schadenfreude62, Lyla Domae, Ascaisil, Syd, msjezzi-bella, Amy**(x2), **emerald and onyx, brii, Trickster Queen464, Erin, gothicgall000, grimmgirl**(x2), **Hypocritically Her, iD Sisters Grimm iD, obsessedwithbooks, SweeneyToddLover26, wormybook, Viva-Musica, Chicgeek4ever, Lilyflower-314, Blue-Eyed-Lily, Lara D, **and **The Grimm Smiler :)**

**Since I can't reply via message to anon reviewers, and some had questions…**

**To Squiggles: **Hopefully that explains it for ya so far, and thank you for the b-day wishes ^^

**To Syd: **We're not on fiction press, but we're going to try and write books to be published. And Puck was saying there was only one person he would do anything for, including become evil or betray the Grimms—and that's Sabrina. Lol that's okay, I enjoyed writing that scene, and I hope that cleared up your confusion ^^

**To brii: **Sabrina didn't exactly go back in time to kill the Scarlet Hand, she went to find Will on Puck's insistence. Also Puck was trying to find something that would make her break down the barrier before he had to kill her to save the current-day Grimms, which is why he suggested the Scarlet Hand. We're also estimating about 40 chapters lol :X Thank you for the B-day wishes, and ugh ugh ugh Gilles de Rais creeps me OUT!

**To The Grimm Smiler: **You won't see this for a while since your review was on chapter 17, but I'll answer anyway XD I love getting Sabrina in trouble. Kekeke. It's just more fun than anyone else. Unfortunately, you'll probably never see me putting anyone other than Sabrina, Puck, Daphne, or like… Red in trouble XD They're just too fun to pick on.

**To all the other anonymous reviews, and the previous ones: **Thanks so much, we really appreciate the reviews, even though we can't reply to them. They still make us happy, thanks^^

**Luvvies!**

P.S Edited to fix typos and separate paragraphs, because the document manager is an ass. Thank you curlscat and Lyla, I sure did miss those XD


	26. The Beginning of the End: Part Two

**EDIT: Sky: Re-Added scene skips.**

**A/N:**

**Sky: HOLY CRAP, THAT WAS A LOT OF REVIEWS BETWEEN CHAPTERS! 50? *faint***

**I wrote this ASAP because you guys have been so freaking nifty! Sorry it felt so slow ; ;**

**However we also got our first flame. LOL! And it was pretty lame, too. More like an ember than a flame. **Get it right or don't write? What does that even mean? XD I originally had a mean-spirited laugh at the reviewer about hiding behind the anonymous function and not even making sense, but… I changed my mind. So I'll just say: **grow up. ^^**

**To everyone else:**

To clear a few things up ASAP, I'm writing the entire **Beginning of the End **saga by myself, with only one guest appearance from Ayns in a later scene with Daphne. **All of it takes place in Future Puck's timeline, and all the events happened prior to his going into the present. None of this has happened in the current timeline.**

Also, we originally had 300+ pages, but we haven't actually used the original writing since chapter 8 or so. We've re-written just about everything, sometimes taking a paragraph from the original and shoving it in. We also never sit on a chapter—the minute it's ready to be posted, we throw it onto the site. Considering none of the chapters have been less than 6 thousand words, I think our rate of updating is pretty decent X-x

**We basically had to edit everything we ever wrote because it was done over AIM messages. Like…**

Ayns: Puck did all this stuff, Blah blah blah.

Sky: Sabrina reacted and then did this blah blah blah

So it had to be edited to fit a story format, and fix typos, make it better, etc. The original Heartless plot took place when Sabrina and Puck were only 13 or so, and the fighting had been purely over Red being an Everafter and sharing a room with Sabrina and Daphne. We changed route and added more skips, so clearly we had to re-write to fix it **XD I think the only thing from the original we kept so far is Red and Daphne's scene when they realize Sabrina got left behind XD Also in the original, Will arrived for the first time at the meeting, and was killed like 2 seconds later. So… Yeah we did a lot of 'making it better' and re-writing, I'm sorry if it's keeping you guys waiting XD**

I've had another hectic and bad week, so I only just started writing this chapter on 8-24-09 while at work in the afternoon. XD My birthday's only 4 days away, and yes I know we won't hit one thousand reviews by then, but that's okay, the reviewers rock and we're at an AWESOME pace. ^^ **Also winners of the one-shots, I'm sorry but it'll be a bit longer for us to get those done. We haven't forgotten you!**

Enjoy!

***.*.*.*.***

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter Twenty-Six: The Beginning of the End Part Two_**

**_The Decision_**

***.*.*.*.***

The house seemed empty.

That was Puck's first thought as he opened the door, glancing around. It was pretty unusual, considering school was about to let out and it was a weekend. But then, as far as he knew, everyone had gone out regularly while he'd been gone.

"I'm home!" He called, sounding cocky and bored. As if coming home was more of a service and favor to the inhabitants than anything else. It was just about all the self-importance he could muster, knowing Sabrina was probably off in New York, having a high old time with her mother. He hadn't stuck around to hear her answer or face rejection. The moment the meeting had let out, he'd spread his wings and flown off, as far as he could with the barrier in place. His only worries had been that Relda or someone would have tracked him down to make him say goodbye, so he'd gone to one of his few hiding places.

He didn't care if anyone called him a coward. He didn't care if they were mad. He wouldn't let anyone know that he had cried the first night away.

Puck's fists clenched a little as he recalled the longest night of his life. He'd wanted to go after Sabrina and tell her to stay with him. Apologize for the fighting. Forgive her for everything she'd ever done. Hell… He'd even been willing to throw her an 'Everafters Suck' parade if it would have made her stay.

So why hadn't he?

Simple. Pride.

"Yo?" he called, frowning and walking inside. "Anyone else here? Or did you all go to New York like a bunch of losers?"

When no one answered, he scowled and trudged into the living room, not bothering to wipe his muddy shoes. It had started raining that morning, and it wasn't like he planned to clean it up.

"Jeez, I leave for a week and everyone falls apart," he muttered sarcastically, heading into the kitchen for some real food. Living as an animal had been easy in the sense that he hadn't cared about eating other animals or grass, but as a boy, he wanted some ramen.

For some reason, the scene in the kitchen made him pause, uncomprehending. Jake Grimm was passed out at the table with stubble on his chin, a coffee cup in his hand. It looked like no one had done dishes in a long time; the food had caked and dried onto each plate or bowl, the sink overflowing and filthy.

"Ugh," Puck shook his head and walked over to Jake, kicking him in the leg lightly. "What's up with the dump?"

Jake groaned, then opened his eyes, wiping them blearily. "Sorry Briar," he mumbled. "I'll go with you in a minute, just need… Rest my eyes…"

"Flattered, but you have the wrong gender," Puck said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

Jake's hand froze, no longer rubbing his face awake. His entire posture tensed, and then he was out of his chair, grabbing Puck and shoving him against the nearest surface, hands at his collar. "You little bastard!" he snapped.

"Whoa!" Puck stumbled, wincing. His wings had still been out, so slamming into the wall had hurt double. "What the hell is your problem?"

He looked up to glare, but his expression faltered at the sheer pain and anger he saw in Jake's expression. He had dark circles under his eyes, and a sense of shame all about him. "What…"

Jake throttled him. "How can you ask that? Where the hell have you been?"

"None of your business! Get off of me!" Puck yelled, shoving at him. He couldn't budge Jake's grip.

"Use your damn bracelet and help us find Sabrina, NOW!"

That got Puck's attention. He was able to frown up at Jake when the throttling briefly ceased. "Find Sabrina? What are you going on about now?"

"Just use it, I'll explain on the way," Jake said desperately, letting go of him. "We don't have any time to waste."

_'Whatever,' _Puck thought, hand going to his left wrist. He wasn't sure what kind of breakdown Jake had experienced lately, but the on the off-chance that Sabrina really WAS in trouble, he activated the bracelet. Not that he was sure what good it would do; Sabrina was past the barrier in New York.

The glimmering cord appeared, and with a sigh, he followed it. When Jake saw his leisurely pace, he shoved Puck forward, goading him out the door. "Faster Puck, we don't have time to waste and she's been gone for a week."

"Will you tell me what this is about?" Puck demanded angrily, stumbling, but picking up his pace.

"During the meeting a week ago," Jake said, practically jogging alongside him. "Red Riding Hood ran away from home. Daphne and Sabrina went looking for her. Kerdy covered for them, since they took the transportation orb."

"And?" Puck frowned, running to match Jake's stride.

"And Sabrina was kidnapped by Bluebeard and Nottingham after making sure Daphne and Red got away," Jake snapped . "We haven't been able to find her."

Puck nearly tripped, but Jake steadied him and they kept running.

It had to be a joke. It had to be some kind of sick 'hah, got ya, that's what you get for hiding for a week' joke. Sabrina wasn't in that monster's hands. She wasn't missing. She wasn't in danger.

It had to be.

"You-"

"Before you start trying to accuse me of lying or trying to get back at you for being gone," Jake interrupted. "Think really long and hard about whether or not Sabrina's family would joke about her being in the hands of a serial killer and child rapist."

Puck shut his mouth, feeling his heart sinking into his stomach. His entire chest felt like it was going numb, with sharp pangs of panic and dread bursting behind his lungs. He didn't question Jake, or even speak out loud. He only ran faster, eyes never leaving the glittery silk cord that connected him to the girl he loved.

_'This has got to be a bad dream. I must have gotten a fever. This is all a hallucination. Worst case scenario. It can't be true. Sabrina can't be with that monster. Please don't let Sabrina be with that monster,' _his inner voice sounded as panicked as he felt. He could remember every time Bluebeard had stared at his Sabrina, and the terror it had inflicted upon her. He could recall every time she had trembled or hidden in his arms just thinking about the man Bluebeard had once been—the man he probably still was. The thought of Sabrina being hidden away, kept against her will by someone like Bluebeard made him feel sick to his stomach.

_'I shouldn't have left,' _he thought desperately, trying to fill his head with words rather than the images or scenarios trying to invade his imagination. None of them were good. _'I should have done everything to make her stay. I should have found her earlier. If anything happens to her, I'll never forgive myself!'_"This is leading into town," Jake huffed, interrupting his thoughts. "We checked everywhere, including Bluebeard's castle. Charming and Will inspected it top to bottom."

"She's at the other end of this cord," Puck snapped, all-business. "You didn't look hard enough."

He wanted to shout at Jake, and accuse him for sleeping at the table when he should have been out looking for Sabrina. But not only could he not find his voice again, to try and shout his opinion, he knew Jake had tried his hardest. The human body could only take so much… Jake had probably gone full tilt until his body had given out, and Briar had forced him to rest while the others all looked.

Everyone was looking for Sabrina… And Puck knew he was the only one who could find her. The one who should have been looking all along.

But had he done the right thing? No. He hadn't. He'd made the wrong decision, and Sabrina was paying for it.

When they arrived at the library, a girl was just leaving the building, swinging her arms like a carefree child. Had it not been for the fact that the cord led right to her wrist, Puck would have gone past her to find Sabrina.

The truth was, the girl looked nothing like her. The eyes were nearly the same, the hair the right length, but it wasn't right. Only the tips of her hair were golden blonde, and the eyes were red, not blue. It looked like blood.

The clothes—that was another matter. Her jeans were the same, and the t-shirt she'd picked was ripped, but they were Sabrina's clothes. Splattered with so much blood, it was impossible to tell what the original color of either article of clothing had been. When Puck froze in his tracks, Jake stopped as well, turning. "What?"

"Sabrina?" Puck whispered, taking a step forward.

She stopped swinging her arms, turning to look at him. All at once, Puck could see where people got the phrase, 'the lights are on, but nobody's home'. It looked like Sabrina—probably sounded like her, but there was no trace of the girl he loved in those crazed eyes.

"I need more," she said in a singsong voice that made Jake stop and stare as well. "No one will ever hurt me again."

_'Just another taste,' _Puck heard her voice say it in his head, and he wasn't sure if it was just from the memory or because she wanted him to hear it. But it made sense.

She reeked of magic. It clung to every inch of her skin, radiating off of her in dangerous waves. It was easy to put the pieces together, and neither Jake nor Puck missed it. She had been hurt badly, gotten her hands on magic, and couldn't control it anymore.

The red that coated her body was blood.

"Sabrina," Puck felt his voice shake, and he tried to sound more confident as he approached her. "Sabrina, come here."

She glanced at him, then giggled and twirled her arms. He deactivated the bracelet before it sent him sprawling. "I don't have to," she laughed. "I'm safe. I'll never be hurt again!"

"Brina," Jake breathed, his eyes wide. "Brina honey, let's get you home. You're hurt."

Her eyes flickered sharply to Jake, the blood red clouding her eyes like an explosion of red around the pupil. "You don't get to have it."

Before Puck or Jake could comprehend what she meant or the power she held, a rain of blood and gore showered the area. Puck turned to stare at Jake, the feeling of dread coming back full force, but he was gone. In his place were his clothes and wedding ring, but his body had been shredded beyond recognition.

Numbly, Puck turned back to Sabrina. "What… Did you do?"

She smiled brightly, a glowing red orb appearing in front of her. "It's mine now." She turned to follow as the red light began to flutter away.

Reacting on instinct, too stunned to let the horror sink in, Puck raced to her side, grabbing her arm. "Sabrina, wait!"

Her body stiffened, and he yanked his hand back at the hot arc of pain that raced up his arm. Neither moved for a long moment. And then, in the blink of an eye, she had turned her head to face him, the movement sharp and sudden. Her eyes narrowed, but she made no move to physically harm him. Instead, he heard her screams in his head as if he had been present for her torture.

The magnitude of what he was hearing combined with the horror of the situation sinking in forced Puck to his knees. He wasn't aware of anything for a very long time, just falling to the ground, lying in the blood-stained street. People screamed from nearby. A fire started somewhere. Sabrina walked away from him, killing anyone who crossed her path.

He knew it logically, but he couldn't comprehend any of it. Her voice tormented him, screaming for him, pleading with her captor, crying out in pain. No one was helping her. Why was no one helping her?

Why hadn't he helped her?

He understood. He had abandoned her to a week of torment and pain. Her innocence and sanity had been ripped from her, just as she ripped apart her own victims. She hadn't thought twice about killing her own uncle, just for being in the way.

Why had she spared him?

Puck closed his eyes and opened them slowly, hands covering his ears as he tried to block out the screams in his head. At the same time, he wanted… No, needed to hear her cries. He owed it to her.

"Sabrina," he whispered, voice hoarse.

With a soft cry, he closed his eyes as tightly as possible, curling up in a ball on the ground. The city could have burned to the ground around him, and he wouldn't have cared.

***.*.*.*.***

Puck hadn't moved an inch by the time they'd found him. For him, everything had simply frozen. The screams echoed in his head, though they had stopped being transmitted there hours ago. He felt like he was watching himself through someone else's eyes. Detached. Briar was crying, sobbing in William Charming's arms while he spoke with Swineheart and Boarman. They'd found Jake's wedding ring in the pile of blood and clothes.

Henry was silent, standing nearby with Kai and clearly listening. Did he know that Sabrina had done it? Did any of them? Had they put the clues together just by seeing Puck at the scene? Or were they trying to ignore the obvious clues for now?

Puck closed his eyes, then opened them again. He was moving farther and farther away from the scene, still emotionally detached from having to think about anything that was going on.

Who was carrying him?

Puck didn't know or care.

His mind tried to register information for him, but he rejected all of it. So later, when he lay on his bed and finally let himself think clearly, he was able to put events into place.

Sabrina was the Heartless that Will had been talking about. She had murdered people already, no doubt starting with the members of the Scarlet Hand that had assisted in her torture.

Sabrina couldn't differentiate between friend or foe anymore. Everyone was an enemy to her. She had killed Jake without remorse. Her family was aware of Jake's demise, but not necessarily her hand in it. She was too powerful to be stopped without more bloodshed, and far too crazed to listen to reason.

And the other detail, the one that had been gnawing at him ever since her screams had started…

He was going to join her and betray everyone.

But they had to be able to change it, right? It wasn't set in stone. Will had warned them about everything she would do, so it wasn't like they were unprepared for the events.

Yeah, right. Nothing could have prepared them.

Puck slowly sat up, looking around his room. He was on the trampoline—who had put him there?—and the tree house was in plain sight. The very fact that it existed suddenly made him angry, and he turned away, clenching his fists.

There had to be a way to reverse it. Sabrina couldn't be _gone. _She had to have some part of her left, and they just needed a way to help her reawaken it.

As he made his way back to the doorway of his room, he vowed to himself that he wouldn't become the monster Will had described. Even knowing that Sabrina was the Heartless wouldn't sway him. He knew. He had warning. He wouldn't do it.

_'But what if you do?'_He paused at the door, the thought echoing in his head. Then he clenched his jaw. There was no way. If Sabrina was gone, then he wasn't going to chase the evil echo that just happened to look and sound like her.

That was what he had to tell himself as he headed for the living room of the Grimm household.

***.*.*.*.***

Puck was silent as he stood in the doorway, watching the family grieve. Briar was still inconsolable, though now it was Buzzflower she cried on, rather than William. Veronica lent her support to Henry and Relda, while Daphne and Kerdy held Cory. The littlest Grimm was too young to understand why everyone sad, but he understood easily that they were. It made him sniffle and pat Daphne's wet cheeks, murmuring 'nokwa' to her over and over.

The word brought a sting of pain through Puck's entire body. He could practically see Sabrina sitting in the playroom, holding Cory in her lap and whispering 'no cry' to him. It was what she said when he got fussy or hurt himself, and he'd clearly adopted the mannerism.

"Puck!"

Everyone looked up except for Briar at Kerdy's exclamation. Kerdy was one of the few people who wasn't crying—he simply held Daphne while she sobbed.

Puck nodded slightly. "Who carried me to my room?" he asked in a strained, quiet voice.

"Mr. Canis," Daphne whispered. "But he's with Red now. She blames herself for…" She trailed off, large tears welling up in her eyes.

"What happened, Puck?" Veronica whispered, while Mallobarb pet Briar's hair and whispered soft words to the distraught widow. "You wouldn't say anything when they found you… You just lay there with your hands over your ears. Did you see what happened?"

Puck closed his eyes. "I just got back today," he murmured. "Jake wanted me to use my bracelet to find Sabrina."

"What happened?" Kerdy echoed Veronica, shuddering. "Did you get attacked before you found her?"

"No."

Puck tore his eyes from the scene and looked to the wall, studying the cracks as if they were fascinating.

"Then what happened?" Henry demanded. "My brother was murdered, and you were the only witness!"

"…" Puck clenched his fists. "Don't you think I know that?" he growled. "I couldn't do anything, she was too fast."

"She?" Relda wiped her eyes on a handkerchief, looking to Puck imploringly.

"…Sabrina," Puck whispered, his voice strangled and rough. "Sabrina was too fast."

The silence that fell over the room hit everyone. Even Elvis had stopped his keening whines of comfort towards Daphne, and Briar had stopped sobbing.

"What…" Veronica was the first to break the silence, after what felt like a lifetime. "What do you mean, Sabrina was too fast?"

"Sabrina is the Heartless," Puck said, his voice surprisingly steady. "She's absorbing magic, and killing anyone who has it or gets in the way."

Henry stood up, his grief-stricken eyes widening. "That's not funny at all. Sabrina would never-"

"Bluebeard hurt her," Puck said, closing his eyes tight and clenching his fists so hard that blood welled up in his palms. "It makes sense now. Sabrina was hurt, and someone had magic… She used it, and now she can't stop. She doesn't want to be hurt anymore."

"Sabrina… She… She did that to my Jake?" Briar whispered, lifting her head and gazing at Puck, her eyes raw with pain.

"You have to be wrong," Kerdy breathed, feeling how tense Daphne was in his arms. But Daphne didn't speak at all. She could feel her heart clenching with absolute fear and horror. She wanted to be one of the ones to stand up and declare that Sabrina would never do such a thing. That Puck was wrong or joking.

But Puck's aura was completely pure and honest. It was jagged with pain and uncertainty—clearly over Sabrina's condition… And his words were true.

"This is all your fault!" Henry suddenly roared, slamming his chair back and ignoring the splintering shatter of it hitting the wall. Like Jake, he was immediately upon Puck, grabbing his collar and shoving him into the wall. "Where were you when she was kidnapped? Why didn't you find her?"

"Henry!" Veronica sobbed, gripping Relda's arm. Cory had started to cry in panic at the sight of his father so angry.

Puck didn't fight back. He let Henry shove him against the wall. He let Henry accuse him, yell at him, curse him… Because he was right.

Puck knew that no one could blame him as much as he blamed himself. He hadn't learned from the time Sabrina had been hurt during their arguments—he'd only ditched her for an afternoon that time. Nothing should have stopped him from being with her while he had the chance. How had he let such petty arguments drive them so far apart? How had he let the cracks between them grow into gigantic fissures?

It really was all of his fault.

"We have to save her," Daphne whispered, staring straight ahead while the tears slid down her cheeks. "We have to stop her before she does all those things Will… Said…"

Again, Puck found all eyes on him. He was positive they were all thinking in unison about Will's other information. The Villain King Puck.

They all knew he had betrayed them for Sabrina in the past—well, future technically—but Puck didn't think he would do it.

"I'm not going to join her," Puck whispered, bowing his head. "Not if she can't be saved. It's not the Sabrina I know. I can't love… that."

"How can you be sure?" Briar demanded abruptly, sobbing again. "How do you know, Puck? You love her no matter what—you're going to become just like her and keep hurting everyone!"

"No I'm not!" Puck shouted in defiance, breaking Henry's grip on him and turning away. He was practically hyperventilating as he tried to gulp in a fresh breath of air, tears stinging his eyes.

His shout had rendered the room mostly quiet again. When he turned back, Briar had turned away, and all eyes were on him.

"Even before this, I… I doubted the promise," he whispered, voice stricken. "Knowing what Will said, and what she's capable of… I won't join her. I want to save her… Not be like her."

"I don't believe you," Briar whispered. "Not if you truly loved her."

"You don't-" Puck started, but Briar let out a shriek of rage and sorrow, slamming her fist on the table.

"I know what love is!" she cried. Her voice was shrill from the sobs, and her chest heaved with each breath she took. "Jake and I were soulmates! I've never felt that way about _anyone _in my entire life until him, and I'll never feel that way about anyone again! Don't you dare lie to me and tell me love like that is fleeting! It's not! IT'S NOT!" She buried her face in her hands and sobbed loudly, bringing tears to Buzzflower and Mallobarb's eyes. But before they could comfort her, she was shaking her head and wiping at her tears. "That kind of love will never go away! No matter what! Your very promise to her! If it were Jake, if he were…! If Jake were…! If Jake killed everyone, if he hated Everafters, if he lost his soul, I would still love him always! Don't you understand? Jake was _everything _to me! I know exactly how it feels!"

Daphne wiped her eyes, turning away and biting her hand on a sob so she wouldn't distract anyone. Her throat felt tight and she felt a fresh wave of tears breaking the surface. Her crying distressed Cory even more, and he buried his face in her shoulder while Kerdy tried to hug them both. Briar's speech had brought tears to more than just Daphne's eyes.

"It doesn't matter what you tell yourself," Briar whispered, shoulders shaking. "You'll understand when you have to make the decision. You never doubted it at all. You were scared. Everyone gets scared sometimes… But if you had to choose between losing her and having her, in any form, you'd… You'd stay with her. You'd kill us all."

She turned away, wordlessly while her fairy godmothers enveloped her in tight, firm hugs. Nobody in the room said a single word against her, or her views.

Puck found himself shaken to his very core, and when Henry let go, he sank to the ground, just sitting against the wall with a pained look on his face.

He didn't know if Briar's words were true for him. He believed that he truly loved Sabrina, but how could Briar be so sure what he would do? That his doubts hadn't been real?

Yeah, sure he and Sabrina had been through a lot, and survived many situations that brought them closer. But the Heartless… That was another story.

"I have to let William know," Veronica whispered finally, going to the phone and dialing with trembling hands. Nobody stopped Puck when he slowly stood and left the room. No one had the strength or the purpose to do it.

***.*.*.*.***

By nightfall, barriers had gone up over several areas of Ferryport Landing, courtesy of Will and any other magic users. William had put out the alerts on Sabrina's condition and level of danger, evacuating all non-Everafters on an excuse of a gang of serial killers. Even Snow had thought the excuse was rather far-fetched, but it had worked, and with the recent murders in town, no one objected.

Only the Everafters remained. Even if they had wanted to, the Grimms couldn't leave to lower the barrier. Sabrina was still a Grimm, and she clearly had no intention of leaving.

Relda had gone with Mr. Canis to find Baba Yaga, but Sabrina had already gone after the old woman. All of the magic was gone, and only blood remained. With Will's advice on what to do and who Sabrina would go after, they were able to keep people like Farrah, AKA Blue Fairy, safe. For the time being.

***.*.*.*.***

Will closed his eyes tightly, leaning against the window in the room he still used. It was a worst case scenario all around.

_'I didn't want it to be her,' _he sighed to himself, pressing his forehead to the cool glass.

He honestly hadn't expected it, or wanted it. He liked Sabrina's attitude, and despite everything, he had admired her faith in Puck. And now… Puck was most likely to betray them.

_'Will he still? Knowing what he knows… What she becomes… Will he still betray us and join her?'_Will sighed again. If it has been his wife… He would have betrayed everyone.

But this time, Puck had warning. He knew in advance what his joining the Heartless would do…

Would he care?

_'I'm sorry, Sabrina. I can't allow either one of you to live. Better to get rid of him now before he joins you and gains in your power. I'm sorry I have to break my promise to you.'_Will pulled away from the window, iron sword appearing in his hand. Puck was still in shock, from what he'd heard… All he had to do was make it quick and make it fast.

***.*.*.*.***

"Naughty naughty."

Will froze, hand inches from the door to the Grimm home. He had his iron sword hidden, ready to summon it to his hand once he was close enough to Puck. He hadn't anticipated Sabrina following him or waiting outside the Grimm house.

Turning, he found her tripping towards him, high off her own power and giggling.

"Heartless," he breathed, shuddering. "What are you doing here?"

"That's iron," She purred. "I can smell it in your bones. I can taste it. Naughty naughty. You broke your promise."

Will's eyes widened in horror. "How…"

He took a step backwards, but Sabrina laughed and moved closer, pressing into the barrier that separated the Grimm house from her.

"HELP!" Will shouted in panic, slamming his fist against the door rapidly, rather than knock.

His shout woke most of the people inside. Kai, Gerda, Forse, Garret, and Rae had come to stay with the family as well. The first ones outside were Mr. Canis and Henry, but Puck and Kai followed quickly. The others had been ordered to stay inside, huddling together fearfully.

"Sabrina!" Puck stumbled forward, but Mr. Canis grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked him closer to the house.

"Uh-uh," Sabrina shook her head, staring at them with crazed eyes, her lips curving into a playful smile.

"Sabrina," Henry whispered in horror. He had imagined many things he would do or say when he saw his daughter again, but he honestly couldn't think of anything but her name. Puck hadn't exaggerated her appearance, and Will hadn't exaggerated the horrifying nature.

"She's gone," Sabrina murmured, nuzzling her cheek to the barrier. She pressed her hand against it. "Bye bye Will."

"No!" Puck reached for Will, but he couldn't do anything to stop the ripping, the rain of blood, and the murder of another person right in front of his eyes.

Mr. Canis stiffened, then ushered everyone back into the house, staring from the doorway. Red screamed from inside when they came in covered in blood, and Gerda fainted.

"Aw… I want to play," Sabrina pouted when they retreated. "One more taste? Just one more… I don't need more than one…"

"Sabrina!" Puck tore himself from Mr. Canis' grip, running back outside and stopping on one side of the barrier. "Sabrina, stop this!"

She glared back at him, expression unreadable. "Sabrina's gone. She'll never be hurt again."

"That's not true!" Puck shook his head, putting his hand at the barrier. "Remember? You promised—I promised! I'm not going anywhere, I told you that! Trust me, and please stop now!"

She looked to his hand, bringing hers up to touch the barrier where his palm was. The thin space between their hands felt powerful.

Then she smiled and tapped the barrier once. "Sabrina's gone."

Turning, she stumbled off into the night, giggling and twirling.

Puck stood there for several moments, tears stinging his eyes. He hadn't missed the similarities between that moment and the time when she had been under Klarissa's curse. He also hadn't missed the use of their code. It had convinced him. Fully convinced him that Sabrina was really gone. In her place was a heartless monster with the same mannerisms, the same voice, and the same body. Nothing else was Sabrina's. The attitude he loved, the smile and laugh, the sparkle in her eyes… It was gone forever. She'd never again look at him with love, or smack him for pinching her. She'd never wear an 'I heart Puck' shirt or sing while fixing breakfast, and she'd never just lie in his arms and whisper 'I love you' to him in their tree house.

She was gone. Forever.

"I won't," Puck whispered, his voice cracking with pain. He sank to his knees, closing his eyes and trembling. He'd made his decision. He would never join the Heartless. He wouldn't let Will's death be in vain.

When Mr. Canis came back to retrieve him, he offered no protest, numbly heading back into the house. He didn't bother washing the blood off his clothes or body, and instead of going to his own room, he went into Sabrina's, sitting on her bed.

Her journal was out—slung carelessly with her backpack. He'd almost forgotten she'd spent the night at Jake's house right before everything had happened.

Almost numbly, Puck picked the journal up and opened it to the entry that had caused all of the problems. Her doubts in him. She was right now, wasn't she? He planned to kill her if they gave him the chance. The plan wouldn't fail this time. He wouldn't let himself be fooled by her face and her voice.

Biting his lip hard enough to draw blood, he turned the page and began reading. She had about four entries past the one stating her doubt, and it was all he had left of her views and her voice. He needed to know what she had been thinking or feeling. How much of it was his fault.

When he read the entry about her reasons for distrust, he felt like crying again. Few things made him cry, and really, it was mostly influenced by Sabrina. It wasn't until he reached the lines about her love and trust in him that the tears came.

_When it comes down to it, I love him more than I like to admit. He's been with me for some of the hardest times in my life, and he's never really let me down. Maybe Will's information was half-right. Maybe Puck was torn between dying like everyone else and joining the enemy, or maybe he let the Heartless think he'd joined her. He tried to save me, and maybe I sacrificed myself for him, and made him promise to live, any way he could. Or maybe he tried to save me and accidentally hurt me. Or maybe, he hid me away from the Heartless and visited me. Maybe Villain King Puck isn't Puck at all, like he said… Maybe it's someone who just calls himself that. I don't know. But I refuse to believe Puck would ever intentionally hurt me._

_And even if he did… My heart won't change. (I don't care how corny this is, who asked you?)_

_He loves me. And I love him. No matter what._

_Got it?_

_Good._

He had to stop and push the journal away, worried about his tears getting on the page and ruining her writing. He didn't want to smudge her messy penmanship and blur the words he didn't deserve.

_'I'm sorry,' _he thought, his heart breaking all over again. _'I should have been here with you.'_

Under normal circumstances, he might have cared about how pathetic he looked, covered in blood and crying on Sabrina's bed. But as it was, he just didn't care anymore. It wasn't like he planned to kill himself once Sabrina was dead. He promised not to. But that didn't mean it didn't hurt enough that he wished he were dead.

When he managed to calm down again, he stripped off his shirt and dropped it on the floor. The blood was starting to make him feel uncomfortable.

Sitting cross-legged on the bed, he pulled the journal up and turned to the next pages, resolving to read straight through.

***.*.*.*.***

**_Yeah yeah, I should date my entries. Am I going to? Nope. Deal with it._**

**_So, today, Puck and I fought again. I nearly yanked him down the stairs… I shouldn't have done it, but I just got so frustrated!_**

**_But… I told Will about the promise. I let him know that Puck and I love each other no matter what. I told him my doubt was gone. And I made him promise not to hurt Puck unless Puck made a direct threat on Will's life._**

**_Will's pretty cool. I feel bad about his future. But I know that even if the future seems… Bad right now… I have to believe this is going to pass. Puck and I will get through this. We promised._**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

**_We're fighting more. Do I need to date this? Just consider everything about the Heartless in the 'month from hell'. There ya go, you have a timeline._**

**_I feel so pathetic about all of this. I'm not the girl that dies without her boyfriend, or goes into shock during a breakup._**

**_We're NOT breaking up, by the way. It's just… It's just hard right now. I really do feel empty when I think about what we had and compare to what's going on right now._**

**_God. I'm using my Grimm journal as a 'woe is me diary'. What do you care? Don't read it then._**

**_I just… Wish we could go back to how we were. I want to hold hands with him. He always brushes his thumb over my knuckles. He used to do it to reassure me, back when I was cursed by Klarissa… But then he started doing it just because. Sometimes, I find it hard to sleep knowing that we're in such bad shape, and he's not there, so I close my eyes and use my left hand to do it myself. Lame, huh? Well, it makes me feel better. I can pretend he'll be there when I wake up and tell me he loves me._**

**_I really do love him. I know, I'm only fifteen and what if it's puppy love, blah blah blah. Well who asked you?_**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

**_I just keep reminding myself that we promised. We promised… He won't go back on it._**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

**_The funny thing is, I wanted to date this message. But I don't know the date. I don't even know what year it is. I'm so upset right now, I barely know my own name. I think that was the worst fight we've ever had. I tried to explain my reasons, but he doesn't want to hear it. He recoiled from me when I tried to touch him. He doesn't know if he means his promise anymore._**

**_Maybe everyone was right. Feelings and people change. It's not like we're Romeo and Juliet or something. And it's not like I want to kill myself._**

**_I don't know how I feel. I got Uncle Jake to go back to his own room and leave me alone, but…_**

**_I have got to stop feeling sorry for myself. This is lame. Nothing's going to get in the way with us. I don't care how much I have to apologize. After the meeting tomorrow morning that Will told me about, I'm going to use the bracelet and make sure Puck stays put so I can talk to him. I'll apologize as much as I have to. I'll bring back the love declarations. I'll throw an 'I love Everafters' parade._**

**_I won't run away from this. Screw my pride. This is worth it. I meant what I said. No matter what._**

**_Everything'll be back to normal in the morning, once I talk to Puck. We'll do the stuff we used to. Find a way for him to leave the barrier one day. Maybe I'll consider becoming an Everafter and staying with him forever or something. At this point, I'd be willing to compromise on just about anything. I'll tell him that._**

**_Then we can be happy again._**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

Puck didn't even bother trying to hold back the fresh tears, even though they stung and burned his eyes.

How could he have ever been so stupid?

It wasn't like either of them had been perfect or completely right… But she had set aside her pride, and he hadn't. In the end, he was the one who had created the Heartless, because he was the only one who could have prevented it.

And now…

Well, he promised not to give. He had promised not to kill himself or anything once Sabrina was gone. He'd keep his promise to her, no matter how much it hurt or how badly he didn't want to.

After all, he'd already made his decision.

***.*.*.*.***

**A/N:**

**Sky:** Sorry it's not longer, I've been super busy ^^; This is still in Future Puck's timeline, so don't distress. This story DOES have a happy ending. Much luvvies guys, and hopefully Ayns agrees with my Puck portrayal in THIS story. ^^!

**Thanks to all the reviewers (HOLY CRAP 50 WOOOAAAH) since chapter 25!: iD Sisters Grimm iD, Lilyflower-314, Schadenfreude62, Trickster Queen464, The Grimm Smiler**(x2!)**, BookLoverAF, emerald rose, Lara D, SeekDreamaAndFindHope, DeDe, Erin, Taylor Wimbley, fangfan5**(x2!), **Lyla Domae, curlscat, Syd**(x2)**, obsessedwithbooks, Ascaisil, ILoveGeorgeCooper, Hypocritically Her, Blue-Eyed-Lily, Grimgirll667, Amy**(x3), **Aynslesa**(teehee!), **wormybook, Sorry-NotValid, A CertainPeantButterSandwich, SweeneyToddLover26, I lov PUCK, Reader, chemicalsilver, Onyx, GrimmGurl4Lyf3, silent-entrance, gothicgall000, giggleguts, Sabrinagoodfellow, Alice Alee**(x2!)**, Zeorzia, Viva-Musica, Squiggles, LR, 'hate your story'**(LOL!), and **the one who figured it out, -flying-dreaming-dancing- ^^**

THANKS GUYS! You rule.

**Keep it up :D Luvvies!**


	27. The Beginning of the End: Part Three

**EDIT: Sky: Re-Added scene skips.**

**A/N:**

**Sky: **Sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry! This is a pretty short chapter, but it's the last in the "Beginning of the End" series. **I was thinking of doing 4, but I changed my mind with this one. This also means Ayns won't get her cameo, because we're not writing the scene where Kerdy protects Daphne during the escape. **

A few things to mention here: This is still **all in Future Puck's timeline, none of this happened in the canon timeline. **Also, this might seem a bit rushed—this is the second chapter I've ever written that actually made me cry while writing it, and the other was last chapter. I decided not to write out all the death scenes, but you all know that basically just about everyone in Ferryport Landing dies. Most of the world, really **XD Thank goodness it's not canon, huh? **Anyway, I hope you enjoy the third and final installment of "The Beginning of the End", written by lil ol' me. **We may or may not get a chapter up tomorrow (Friday) since it's my birthday, and Ayns and I spent all day today watching Sailor Moon when I should have been writing XD**

**Don't forget to check out our two-shot (two chapter) story for Person95, entitled '48 Hours'**

Luvvies!

***.*.*.*.***

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Beginning of the End, Part Three_**

**_The Meaning of 'No Matter What'_**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

Time stopped being important. Nobody in the Grimm household really cared about minutes, days, or even weeks. It no longer mattered to most of them. People came and went through the mirrors, visiting and discussing plans. William often brought Cassia over to let her play with Cory. Kerdy and Daphne spent most of their time taking care of the young kids, simply because someone needed to keep them occupied, and they needed the distraction. Buzzflower and Mallobarb spent the days reinforcing the barrier, trying to hide the magical essence from Sabrina. When asked by Daphne, they'd explained that Sabrina was tracking magic through the essence—rather, scent it gave off. Without it, Sabrina wouldn't bother coming to them. Their theory was that Will had used magic before entering the barrier, and Sabrina had been led right to them.

Puck didn't bother leaving his room. He reread Sabrina's journal entries thousands of times, savoring each word with a sense of bittersweet warmth. They were her words—completely real and true that she had written before he'd lost her forever. And while most of them just reminded him that he'd spent his last moments with her being a jerk, they reminded him more that he loved her. He couldn't help himself from wishing he'd done things differently, imagining different scenarios every time he reread her words, but he kept himself resigned to the fact that Sabrina was gone. It helped him stay focused on the fact that he would probably be the one that had to kill her.

Even Celeste had known something was wrong. She remained curled up near the trampoline, head down. She wouldn't eat or drink, sensing that her favorite person would never be coming back. Veronica had sadly delivered the news that Celeste would probably die soon of starvation and a broken heart.

It wasn't like the family was in much better condition. Veronica spent her nights sobbing in Henry's arms over Sabrina, while he did his best to help comfort her through his own grief. Losing Sabrina and Jake had torn their family to shreds, and everyone was relying on someone else to help them through it.

Puck was the only person isolating himself and grieving alone, aside from Briar. The beautiful princess's skin, which was normally a shade of dark honey, had become pale and sallow. Like Celeste, she refused food and drink. She didn't listen or speak. She simply cried and clutched Jake's wedding ring to her chest, lying in bed. No amount of coaxing could keep her from wasting away. Everyone from Snow to William to Cory had been trying to cheer her up or get her to react, but Briar wouldn't acknowledge anyone. Not since her outburst at Puck.

No one was sure how long it had been since Briar had eaten, but Veronica was the next one to try to help her.

"Briar," Veronica murmured, walking into the room. She had a plate of food, her eyes red-rimmed with dark circles beneath them. Briar curled up a bit more, closing her eyes and holding her hand to her chest. Everyone knew Jake's wedding ring was clutched in it.

"Jake wouldn't have wanted you to waste away like this," Veronica said sternly, sitting on the bed and putting the plate down. She noted Briar's flinch at the name. "It would kill him all over again to see you in this condition."

Briar turned away from her.

"Briar," Veronica snapped. "You're not the only one who lost someone. Henry and I… We lost Jake too. And our baby girl. Sabrina is out there somewhere, causing this, and we can't do anything to help her!"

She brought her hand up and covered her face. "We don't want to lose any more family, Briar… Please."

Briar opened her eyes. For a long moment, she didn't say anything. Then she turned, looking up at Veronica with tears in her eyes. "I never planned to outlive him, Veronica," she whispered. "I was going to grow old with him. He used to joke that I should stay young to the end so he could have a 'super hottie' on his arm when he was an old man… But I wanted to die with him. I wanted to live my life with him always… And now he's gone."

She turned again. "People criticized us… Because I'm an Everafter, and he's a Grimm… Because he has little money and status, and I'm a Princess… Because we barely knew each other when we fell in love… But it was so real. It was-"

She stopped talking, feeling Veronica pulling her up and embracing her tightly.

"I know, Briar," Veronica whispered, hugging her tightly. Her voice was shaky, and tears spilled from her lashes onto Briar's shoulder. "I know."

Briar trembled, bringing her hands up to clutch at Veronica's shirt. "I miss him so much… I keep thinking when I wake up, he'll be right there like usual, smiling and telling me how beautiful I am… Oh god, Veronica, he's really gone," she sobbed, burying her face against the other woman.

Veronica closed her eyes tight, clutching Briar. While she was trying to comfort the other woman, she was also crying with her, letting it out. Every time she thought she had cried all the tears she had left, more came. She had a feeling that just as Briar would never be the same without Jake, she would never stop mourning her eldest daughter.

***.*.*.*.***

"He's finally asleep," Kerdy murmured, gazing into the crib. Cory had been restless for hours, demanding full attention from both Kerdy and Daphne. If Cassia wasn't over for Cory to try and impress, he spent most of his time crying for Sabrina or trying to make other people stop crying. Daphne had told him story upon story and sat with him for hours with endless patience to distract him.

It had made Kerdy realize many things about himself, and about what he wanted to do.

"Good," Daphne murmured, wiping at her eyes and reaching into the crib to pet Cory's cheek. "He doesn't understand that Sabrina isn't… She isn't coming back."

Kerdy turned, placing his hand on Daphne's shoulder. "I don't know which is worse. Understanding or not understanding."

Daphne clutched the crib tighter with one hand, not answering him out loud. She bit her lip.

"Princess, you haven't really talked about it either," Kerdy murmured, keeping his hand on her shoulder. "You've been strong for your family, but this can't be easy on you."

"Of course it isn't," Daphne whispered, tears coming suddenly. "When we got back, I thought Sabrina left Red behind. I started to yell at her."

"You can't paint Sabrina as a saint simply because she's gone," Kerdy said gently. "She wasn't a saint. She played the martyr this time, but leaving Red behind could have been something she'd do. Don't blame yourself."

Daphne sniffled loudly, pulling her hand from Cory's cheek to wipe her eyes. "She wasn't a bad sister!"

"Of course not," Kerdy pulled her gently from the crib, glancing at Cory to make sure he hadn't stirred. The little boy was by no means a small baby, but he wasn't ready for a real bed. "No one's saying she was a bad sister, Daphne. But you can't blame yourself over every argument or doubt you ever had."

With a sob, Daphne turned and threw herself into Kerdy's arms, burying her face in his shoulder. He held her while she cried, listened while she told him all of the things she wished she had done differently, and murmured soft words of comfort to assure her that it wasn't her fault for not being strong enough. He led her over to her bed, where the rose he had given her was a deep velvety blue color.

"Princess," he interrupted, pulling her down beside him and holding her tightly. "Stop this. You can't blame yourself. This didn't happen because you weren't strong enough. This didn't happen because you weren't a good sister. Please don't… Don't blame yourself like this. It's breaking my heart."

Daphne paused at the words, reaching up to wipe her eyes. "Kerdy…?" She pulled back, looking up at him.

His expression was soft, almost sad. He reached out to stroke her cheek, wiping her tears away gently. "Daphne, you're a wonderful person. You have such a big heart… And while sometimes your naiveté can make you seem clueless, it's an important part of you that many people love and want to protect. Your sister, even though she was angry at you a lot, or didn't pay attention to your feelings as much as she should have… She was the one who wanted to protect your innocence the most. And now…"

He swallowed, still stroking her cheek gently. "Now I'm the one who wants to protect it the most. Daphne, I…"

Daphne stared up at him with wide eyes, her tears stopping at his words. "Kerdy…?" she whispered. Her heart was racing so fast that she felt it might pop. Was this the feeling Sabrina had described when they'd talked about love before?

"Daphne," Kerdy said again, leaning down closer to her. His hand flattened against her cheek, gently cupping it. "I'm in love with you."

Before she had a chance to react fully to his words, he pressed his lips gently to hers, closing his eyes. It wasn't an overly passionate kiss, or an inappropriate one, but it conveyed his emotions quite well.

Daphne lost her ability to think or even breathe at the feather-soft touch of his lips to hers. She had never imagined her first kiss could be so sweet or so wonderful. She had dreamed of the event for years, imagining herself in fairytales over and over. She had dreamt of a prince charming to kiss her awake from a nightmare, or to rescue her from the villain and ride off into the sunset with her.

She didn't need any of that. Kerdy was her prince, and anywhere he took her was the happy ending sunset, as far as she was concerned.

The kiss broke a moment later, the motion causing her eyes to flutter open. She could see his intense blue eyes, the blush on his cheeks, and the soft smile that had touched his lips. He didn't seem to mind that Daphne was wearing ratty sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt that had belonged to Sabrina. He stared at her as if she was the most beautiful girl in the world.

"Kerdy," Daphne whispered. "I'm in love with you too, but… But are you sure you love me? I mean, are you really sure? I'm so young, and this is so sudden, what if it's just because the world is ending?"

Kerdy laughed softly, kissing her cheek on the side he wasn't touching. Then he pulled back and stood up. "Daphne, I've been in love with you for longer than I've realized it. Given the circumstances… I think it'd be safer if I said to hell with appearances and what's proper."

"Wh…" Daphne had barely formed the question, staring after him, when he began to get taller.

He closed his eyes tightly, feeling his body changing. His muscles, which he had tried to work on before he realized he hadn't been aging, all started to fill out. His height trumped Puck's, voice becoming a little deeper and features becoming more lean. The baby-sweet features in his face became more handsome and appropriate for someone verging on adulthood.

When he opened his eyes and turned back to Daphne, he held the same warm smile for her.

"You… you aged," Daphne breathed, standing up. He was much taller now, and she had to tilt her head just to look into his eyes. "But how? I thought Everafters could only age to the years they've existed…"

"Oh Princess," Kerdy smiled, reaching down to tuck some of her hair behind her ear. "I stopped aging the day I met you. I just didn't know it. Not until it was pointed out to me… I wanted to slow down so I could be with you when you were old enough, and grow up with you. To stay with you. But now, I can protect you better if I don't hold onto my childhood. I want to protect you forever, Daphne."

Tears filled Daphne's eyes again, but these were different. She wasn't grieving, or sad. She was overwhelmed and happy, completely touched by the realization that he had aged the exact amount of time she'd known him. He'd been held back in school to wait for her… He had always waited for her. "Kerdy…"

"But because I've aged," he said softly. "I can't kiss you again. Not yet. I want to protect you first. I'll wait for you to get older, Princess. I'll always wait for you."

His words, as they mirrored her thoughts, brought more tears to her eyes. Then Kerdy gathered her into his arms, cupping the back of her head and holding her close. "I'll do anything to protect you. Anything."

Daphne closed her eyes and held onto him tightly. She believed him. His aura was completely warm and honest, and despite the world falling down around the barriers, she felt safer than she ever had in her life.

Near the crib, while Cory slept peacefully and murmured 'sabwa' into his pillow, the crystal rose was in full, beautiful bloom.

***.*.*.*.***

"What?" William stared incredulously at the woman who spoke, slamming both hands on the table in the Grimm house.

Morgan Le Fey closed her eyes, clutching the table in front of her with just as much conviction. "She destroyed the barrier around my home. Frau and my son are both dead. I barely escaped."

"But that barrier was strong!" Buzzflower protested. "Were you masking the essence?"

"Yes," Morgan wiped at the tears in her eyes. "She said she could smell us all."

"We can't hide forever, anyway," William said finally, sitting back down. He was glad Snow was in the other room, tending to Cassia and Cory.

"What do you suggest we do?" Mallobarb demanded. "We can't stop her."

"We can't," William said. "But one person can."

"You can't mean-" Relda's hands flew to her mouth.

"We can't ask him to do that," Veronica breathed, her voice catching. "You can't mean Puck."

"Weren't you listening at all?" Henry clenched his jaw. "If we send Puck after her, if she doesn't kill him, he'll betray us."

"Not now that he has warning," William said. "And even if he did betray us, what other choice do we have? She'll hunt us down one by one, until we're all dead."

"I don't like this," Veronica shook her head.

"It's too risky," Buzzflower agreed. "Briar is positive. If we send Puck after her, he will betray us."

"Again, what choice do we have?" William growled. "She kills anything that crosses her path, except for him. She'll find us eventually anyway."

"But asking him to do it…" Relda shook her head. "We-"

"It's fine."

The voice made everyone pause, looking up from the Grimm table. Puck slowly turned from the doorway, making his presence known. His wings were out, expression unreadable and eyes pure silver. He'd clearly been on the other side of the wall for quite some time.

"_Liebling," _Relda breathed, standing up. "We won't make you do this."

"I'm the one that caused it," Puck said, his voice cold. "I should be the one to finish it."

"You didn't cause it," Veronica whispered, voice weak. "It was a combination-"

"Shut up," Puck said coldly. "Don't talk about things you don't know about, lady." His voice was so harsh and pained that nobody spoke in response.

"She wanted to apologize to me," Puck turned away. "And I ran away from her. So just leave me the hell alone and tell me how we're doing this."

"We'll lower the barrier here," William said. "And draw her to us."

"Are you insane?" Buzzflower exploded with anger. "That'll kill us all!"

"Out of the question!" Mallobarb agreed. "There are children here!"

"Then get the hell out," Puck snapped. "Take the children and go through the mirror to Charming's place. I don't care. We need to put a stop to this. Sabrina wouldn't want to be that… that _thing _she turned into."

"And if you betray us?" Morgan whispered, voice grief-stricken.

"Then you'd better hide behind your barriers," Puck snapped. "And hope I don't come after you."

The words left a bitter feeling in the air, but in the end, Puck and William got their way. Most of the people were moved to William's mansion through the mirrors, while Puck remained behind, along with dozens of magical items from the Hall of Wonders. He hadn't meant to snap at them and act as if he might betray them, but he couldn't think of anything better to say to them to make them listen.

Many people hadn't wanted to go—Kerdy and Daphne included. Luckily for the adults trying to convince people, Cory had cried when Daphne hadn't immediately followed, and the older Kerdy ushered her through the mirrors. No one had commented on older Kerdy.

After they left Puck stood quietly in the living room of the house, eyes on all the magical trinkets. Some of them, he'd never even seen before. He didn't need to be sensitive to magic to feel the pulse of power coming off each one, either.

Shuddering, he moved to the door and waited. "Sabrina…"

He closed his eyes. No… not Sabrina. He had to keep reminding himself. Sabrina was gone.

His eyes snapped open nearly an hour later. He hadn't moved from the spot, but he didn't feel stiff, sore, or even tired. The only reason he had moved at all was because he'd felt her arrival.

It wasn't like she'd made a lot of noise, and it wasn't like the earth shattered around her when she walked, either. He just happened to know she was there.

Stepping out of the house, Puck walked down the path and didn't stop until she came into view. Her outfit had changed into a plain black dress, long hair pure black and eyes dark red. No part of her looked like Sabrina anymore. The sight made Puck's heart clench painfully, but he didn't back down. Magic swirled all around her, distorting the terrain and the scenery. It was like a moving barrier of pure energy, extending for several feet around her feet.

"Heartless," he said quietly.

She stopped walking, eyes on him while her head turned to match the direction. "I can taste it," she murmured. "Were you hiding it?"

"The magic's behind me," Puck said, hand going to his side. He had his wooden sword—but because he had been unable to fathom the idea of physically hurting her, it was only for show. The real weapon was a small silver dagger laced with every kind of poison the witches had held. Magical, non magical… It would burn her from the inside out.

"I want it," Sabrina murmured, stumbling forward.

Puck flinched, but he didn't move aside for her. They'd seen her kill—they'd heard how anyone who got too close was killed easily. She didn't even have to touch them to destroy them. A shudder passed through him when her barrier moved over him, but it didn't hurt him, and it closed again when he was fully inside.

"Sabrina," Puck said, and his voice was ragged when he said it. He'd spent all his time separating Sabrina from the Heartless, preparing to kill her. Saying her name felt almost like he was undoing it all.

She paused, turning to look again as he moved closer. Over the past few days, she'd acquired a weapon—a sword with a blood red hilt. The closer that he got, the higher she raised the weapon. He came within striking distance, raising his weapon.

And then, abruptly, she dropped her own.

"What?" Puck stared at her in confusion, the clatter of the sword hitting sounding loud between them.

She simply looked at him, expression calm.

"I'm not playing around," Puck growled, raising his sword higher. "I'm going to kill you now."

Sabrina smiled, expression clearly dazed. "It's okay."

Puck stared at her blankly, feeling as if the world had dropped out from underneath him. Of all the responses he'd expected, that had not been one of them. "Okay?" he echoed. "Okay? Have you lost your… Well, yeah I know you lost your mind… I'm not kidding, Sabrina, I'm going to kill you now!"

Sabrina didn't move from the spot. "It's okay."

"It's not okay!" Puck shouted, moving closer. "Dammnit Sabrina—if you're in there, stop doing all of this!"

"I'm not sure who she is," Sabrina murmured. "But I won't hurt you. No matter how much you hurt me."

"Why!" Puck demanded. "All you care about is the magic!"

"I found a good taste," Sabrina sighed happily. "She was blue and wonderful."

"Blue…" Puck felt his wings flutter nervously. Hadn't Will told them that when Sabrina absorbed the Blue Fairy, her power had gone even farther out of control? But she hadn't destroyed the barrier, and she was taking her time finding the rest of the magic users, so why…

"Are you going to kill me yet?" Sabrina asked, cocking her head to the side. "It's okay."

"Stop saying it's okay!" Puck stalked closer to her, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her. He half-expected her to flay him the way she'd simply killed the others, but she didn't bother responding. "Dammnit, fight back! Fight back and let me feel like you're dying for a reason! You're not Sabrina anymore! I don't love you!"

"I love you," Sabrina replied softly, tears of blood welling up in her eyes. "No matter what."

The shock of those three little words hit him like a fist, right in the stomach. The tears… The words… It wasn't supposed to happen that way. None of it was going right.

"Don't say that," Puck whispered, shaking his head. "Don't say it!"

Sabrina didn't respond, just watching him. Tears burning his silvery eyes, Puck pulled the dagger out and moved closer, pressing the blade to her neck. Everyone was relying on him. He owed it to them to finish her off before she destroyed the world.

And abruptly, he didn't see the Heartless in front of him. He saw Sabrina, walking alongside him after a long detention, the echoes of a love confession passing through his head. One he really had memorized.  
_  
"Why would you do that to me," she complained. But she still smiled at him. "Hey Puck? I meant what I said, you know. The whole thing about loving you no matter what."_

_"Really?" Puck asked, looking at her and still grinning._

_"Yeah, promise," Sabrina said, squeezing his hand once._

_An odd look crossed his face, the cocky grin turning more serious. "Ya know… My kind take promises really seriously. I never mentioned it before, but in Faerie, a promise is really binding. It really means something. I've seen humans break promises all the time, that kind of thing never happens in Faerie."_

_"Really?" Sabrina asked curiously. "I didn't know that." She paused, then looked to him. "I still promise, Puck. I love you no matter what."_

_She even squeezed his hand once again._

_Puck looked at her for several moments, then smirked, cocky. He squeezed her hand once. "I love you no matter what," he echoed. "It's a promise, Grimm."_

Puck closed his eyes tightly.

_"It's a promise, Grimm."_

_"A promise."_

He tried to push the words and memories back out of his head, desperate not to hear them again.

_"I'm in love with you, Puck. No matter what."_

But what was the point? The Sabrina that had made that promise was gone forever. He knew she was. No amount of hoping or wishing would change that the girl in front of him, though she knew Sabrina's lines, had been replaced. It was a different play, a different cast.

And yet… Why couldn't he do it? He'd resigned himself to losing Sabrina, so why couldn't he finish it?

_'It's not her,' _he wanted to shout. _'It's not Sabrina!'_

"Puck?" Sabrina asked, her voice childish and all wrong.

He opened his eyes, tears sliding down his cheeks. The sight that greeted him robbed him of the ability to think or even breathe. Her eyes were still red, but they were no longer dazed or carefree. She looked worried, a tear of blood sliding down one cheek. He couldn't bring himself to respond, or ask her 'what?'. He just stared at her.

"If you need to kill me, it's okay. You're the only one that still hurts me. I'd rather be dead than hurt," she murmured. Her hand came up to his wrist, delicately cupping the hand that held the dagger. She gave one gentle squeeze. "I won't hurt you. I love you."

The next sound was the dagger clattering to the ground, joining her sword. The tears came faster. Puck didn't give a damn who saw them this time. He didn't care that he'd cried for her non-stop—and even though no one else had kept track of time in the Grimm house, he knew exactly how long it had been since he'd last held her or told her he loved her. He'd neglected her for so long, told her he reconsidered their promise, refused to let her justify herself while all along, she'd only wanted him to understand and let her apologize…

It made perfect sense. He was never meant to betray and kill Sabrina. Will had been right about him joining the Heartless; it was only his reasoning that was wrong. All of the times he had told himself it wasn't Sabrina, and he'd have to be the one to kill her, he'd simply been kidding himself.

_'Why?' _Puck wanted to scream, clutching her shoulders tightly. _'Why is it happening the same exact way Will said it would? How did it change anything? Were his actions all for nothing? I don't understand!'_The magic swirled around them both, destroying buildings and pulsating with power. Neither of them paid any attention to it.

"I can't do it," Puck whispered, voice hoarse. When he opened his eyes again to look at her, they were green. "I can't hurt you, Sabrina. I…"

The moment of clarity was so strong and obvious that he felt like a fool. He had never considered breaking the promise. He'd had moments of weakness that had made him feel like he couldn't keep it, but it hadn't been real. Nothing had been so crushing and real in his life before, than that moment, faced with the chance to save the world and kill the only girl he had ever loved.

Maybe he'd simply never comprehended the full meaning of their promise. At least not the way she had. They'd promised each other an unconditional love, something that couldn't be broken or taken back. To him, it had been all about love spells and normalcy, inane excuses that might break them up. He'd never expected that she would keep the promise even while distorted so badly by magic that she would murder everyone she loved.

Everyone but him.

He was a fool. No matter what—he hadn't realized until that moment that it would hold so completely true for both of them. He loved the echo of a girl who had absolutely no morals, no boundaries, and no conscience. And the promise was the only reason she still loved him.

"I love you too," Puck finally whispered, bowing his head. "No matter what."

Sabrina's eyes lit up. The resemblance between the girl in front of him and the one who got excited over tree houses was painful. In that moment, she seemed so much like her old self… It had to be a piece of her. She wasn't completely gone.

And while any of her, even just a shred, still existed, he would love her.

Puck pulled her into his arms, crushing her against his chest and trembling. His eyes squeezed tightly shut. "I'll never let anyone hurt you again, Sabrina. I promise. This time, I'll be there for you forever."

"Okay," she said happily. "But I want to go find the other tastes. Each one is special," she sighed.

"Why?" Puck whispered. "Can't it stop now?"

"No," her voice was sharp. "I'll take them all, and you won't stop me."

His heart clenched again, but he resolved to turn a blind eye to the evil, and fall silent in their defense.

But then, if she'd already absorbed the Blue Fairy, how come she hadn't destroyed the barrier like Will had said she would? Will had told them certain people had survived and escaped—after all, he was descended from Snow and William Charming. Would Will's meddling change that? Or…

"Will you ever leave the barrier?" Puck asked, his voice soft.

"Maybe," Sabrina murmured. "There are other tastes out there."

"I wish I could go with you," He said, cursing himself for his own words. He was bringing about the destruction of the world to ensure the survival of his friends… For the time being, at least.

Sabrina hesitated, pulling back to look at him. "Oh… Well, it's in the way then, isn't it?"

She took a step back, tripping lightly and jerking in her motions as she approached her own barrier, waving her hand. It fell, showing destruction all around them. "But first, I have to take care of something… Mmm…" She headed for the Grimm house, putting her hand on the door.

"Wait!" Puck hurried after her, heart pounding. "What…" He trailed off. He'd forgotten all the magic left in the living room and the Hall of Wonders. No doubt, she was going after that.

"You can get your things while I get mine," she replied brightly, swinging her arms. He caught a glimpse of her bracelet, and steeled himself for the life he'd chosen. He owed it to her.

Thankful that just about everyone had left when told, he followed her inside. As predicted, she went right to the living room, absorbing each piece of magic with a euphoric sigh. From there, she climbed the stairs and headed to the storehouse of magic.

Puck closed his eyes. He didn't want to see it. He wanted to be able to warn the others what he had done, but what was the point? They had been right. He was a traitor. If Sabrina asked, he would kill them.

She had told him to get his things… What things did he even want anymore? He has his bracelet, and he had Sabrina. There was nothing else…

Well, there was one thing.

Gritting his teeth, he rushed for his room to retrieve the journal.

***.*.*.*.***

"Come out and play," Sabrina cooed, leaning against one of the walls in the Hall of Wonders. "Where are you now? Oh how I want to play…"

Mirror took a step back, pressing himself flat against the door to the room he was in. He had never been more terrified in his life. And it was all Bluebeard's fault.

_'If only he'd followed orders,' _Mirror clenched one fist.

"Found you."

He jumped a mile, staring up at the source of his nightmare. Sabrina smiled back coldly at him.

"S-Starfish," he stammered, backing away.

"Don't call me that," her voice became cold, hand shooting out and grasping him about the throat. "Don't you ever call me that!"

"I-I told him n-not to hurt you!" Mirror cried in panic. "He wasn't supposed to-"

"No more secrets," Sabrina laughed. "No more secrets, no more red hands, and no more _masters."_

Eyes wide with horror, Mirror felt his body being ripped to shreds. In the next moment, Sabrina was laughing, bathed in his blood and excited. She tripped her way down the halls, absorbing every magic item in sight. With the Master gone, and Puck waiting, she wasted no time.

***.*.*.*.***

Puck froze briefly at the base of the tree house, another wave of sorrow washing over him. He hadn't expected to feel anything sad for a while—he expected guilt and shame, and horror for the acts he was about to commit… But perhaps the reason he felt tears sting his eyes again was because of how emotional he already was over Sabrina.

Celeste lay on the grass near the trampoline, head bowed. Her body was still and unmoving.

She had died.

Stumbling to her, Puck knelt down and touched her mane. "Celeste… I'm sorry."

Instead of taking the proper time to apologize and mourn, he hurried to the top of the tree house, finding the journal and flipping to the pages he'd read so many times. That was pretty much all he wanted… Her journal.

He stood, turning to leave, and then froze.

Sabrina was covered in blood again, eyes sparkling with more power as she floated in front of the entrance to the tree house. Her eyes darkened at the sight of the journal in his hands. "Oh that. That should be burned."

She held her hand up before Puck could react, and he tensed. "WAIT!"

Her frown deepened. "What?"

"Let me do it," Puck said quickly.

"…" She contemplated briefly, then nodded, stepping back on air. "It hurt you," she said reasonably. "Hurt it back. Burn it all."

He turned away from her, ripping a handful of pages from the spot he had been looking at. Moments later, as they walked from his room, the fire began to spread. Their tree house, memories, and old life together burned away, until nothing of the Grimm House remained.

***.*.*.*.***

_'There really is no going back,' _Puck thought quietly as he followed Sabrina to the river. _'Will this even help anyone?'_

"Oh… Are you sad?" Sabrina paused to look at him. Before he could answer, a cold feeling swept over him. The dagger reappeared in his hand, while the sword appeared in hers. "Here."

Puck jerked in confusion when the dagger pierced his hand, sliding all the way in to the hilt. He closed his eyes and waited for the pain to set in, but it never came. Confused, he looked down to see that his palm was whole, the dagger gone.

"I don't get it," Puck murmured. "There was poison on that thing. It should have burned me from the inside out."

"You don't need tools," Sabrina promised, putting her hand on the barrier. The power crackled around her, making him jump. In the next moment, the barrier around Ferryport Landing lit up like a flare, burning away until nothing remained.

Puck closed his eyes, clenching and unclenching his hand. When he opened them, the barrier was gone, and Sabrina was laughing, twirling in the spot it had been. Experimentally, he held his hand out to a tree and closed it, pushing with the unexplained and burning pulse in his palm.

The tree burned from the inside out, exploding.

"See?" Sabrina laughed. "You can be King of anything! And no one will hurt us! Come, pet, let us play!"

Puck closed his eyes again. _'I will become Villain King Puck,' _he thought. _'Just like Will said. I'll become a monster. I stalled their deaths, but for how long? And what's the point?'_He paused, then took one step out of Ferryport Landing, followed by another, until he was at her side. He took her hand, brushing his thumb over her knuckles. "Sabrina?" he asked.

She didn't really respond to the name, but at the touch to her hand, she gazed at him with love in her eyes.

"Can you do anything?"

"Anything," Sabrina said. "No one can hurt me. I can do anything."

"What about going back in time?" Puck murmured.

"I don't want to," She stumbled forward, giggling.

_'She doesn't want to,' _Puck repeated to himself. _'Not 'can't'. Maybe… Maybe one day.'_He looked to her again, watching her twirl about, carefree and soaked with blood.

_'Not maybe. One day, I will find a way into the past to stop this from happening. I won't lose you forever, Sabrina… Even if I have to become a monster first. I love you. No matter what.'_

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

**A/N:**

**Sky: **Our next chapter brings us back to the current timeline! Will future Puck save the past? How will Puck react to the pages his future self gave him? What will happen to poor Sabrina?

Will Kerdy ever prevent Daphne from naming their kid 'Kerdy Jr'? Read on to find out!

**And a huge thank you to all our reviewers!: Ayns **(^^), **Amy**(x2!), **SeekDreamsAndFindHope, BookLoverAF, knoxalot, Lilyflower-314, MOLLy!, Lyla Domae, JulzAndKate, A CertainPeantButterSandwich, iCheer36, SnowsongIsAJaypawFan, BookLoverXgoogle, grimmgirl**(x2!)**, Blue-Eyed-Lily, Squiggles **(I cried writing it :( ), **msjezzi-bella**(x2!), **Zeorzia, Taylor Wimbley, Sabrina Grimm, Lara D, Syd**(x2!)**, girl genius, chemicalsilver, Trickster Queen464, SweeneyToddLover26, ILoveGeorgeCooper, iD Sisters Grimm iD, Bluestocking inc**(x2!)**, RainbowofSmiles16**(x2!), **Fangfan5, DeDe, obsessedwithbooks, silent-entrance, curlscat, gothicgal000, Viva-Musica, Alice Alee, Ascaisil, Schadenfreude62, M-Gleason**(Glealy! Thanks for reviewing, oniichan^^)

**And to address Syd…**

Sadly yes, in the timeline Future Puck came from, Bluebeard raped Sabrina. No, he did not use protection, but when she went magic-insane, she kind of burned away and fixed all of her injuries. This includes any unwanted pregnancy that might have happened ^^;;; So uh… Yeah.

R/R!

P.S. If any of this looks like it might be in the wrong order, the document manager messed with it... Badly. Like, interjected sentences into a paragraph for no freaking reason. I'm extremely frustrated with it.


	28. Reunited

**EDIT: Sky: Re-Added scene skips.**

**A/N:**

**Sky: **Oof. Sorry guys, I wanted to get this posted on my birthday, but well… Teehee. I had too much fun slacking off and having cake with my family ^^; And my internet went out about three times, which delayed the crap out of our writing.

**Anyway, Ayns stayed up specially for this, so welcome her back to the fic with our return to the current timeline! (She's asleep now)**

Also, we had to put one mark in our ***** skips to let people know **a scene had been going on fsimultaneously with another scene. **We're hoping this doesn't throw people off :X Some people have been a tad confused. Also, we're still planning for this to be about 40ish chapters. I say ish because I don't know if it'll be any shorter or longer. We really appreciate that you guys have been sticking with us ^^ **one thing to stress though, to the anonymous reviewers… We really appreciate your support and enthusiasm, but please try not to spam review each chapter ^^; **If you forget something, go for it and add, but try not to review over and over on the same chapter XD

**Also, since a lot of people asked, Kerdy was physically 17-18 after he aged in the other timeline, but he was 14ish when he kissed the 11-12 Daphne. :P It's my understanding that Everafters can rapidly age to any age they've lived (Like Cinderella going all grandma-style for her husband) or let themselves age normally at any point/stop aging at any point. The only thing they can't seem to do is de-age.**

I won't keep you from the fic any longer. Enjoy!

***.*.*.*.***

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter Twenty-Eight: Reunited _**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

Future Puck opened his eyes. Everyone was watching Puck read the journal pages, watching his reactions. Veronica wanted the pages to fix everything that had been wrong with Puck and Sabrina. She wanted it to be a magic fix that would make them happy again. She pleaded silently to herself, clutching Henry's arm.

Future Puck watched his younger counterpart's face, seeing the emotions that reflected there. It reminded him of the time he'd resolved that he would not stay with the Heartless forever.

"_Sabrina," he murmured._

_She looked at him curiously, seeing the expression on his face. "Are you sad?"_

_"No," Puck answered, looking at her and shaking his head. "I'm with you. But I wish it could be like the way we were before."_

_"I was hurt. I won't be hurt again," she shook her head, holding her hand up. A fire started along the path, moving down the hill and into the town below. They were sitting in a tree together, leaning against each other._

_He was silent for a moment, watching the town burn to the ground. People were screaming, but the fire sought them all out and killed them. Then he turned to look at Sabrina again, touching her cheek. "If I ever have a chance to bring back the real Sabrina, I'll do it, you know. It might involve changing the past."_

_"Okay," she replied, smiling at him and bringing her hand up to touch his. "You can do anything."_

_"…It means I'll kill you," Puck whispered, stroking her hair back from her face._

_"Okay," She answered again, kissing him softly on the lips. "Will you warn me first?"_

_"Warn you?" Puck asked, confused. He pulled back enough to look her in the crazy eyes._

_"Before you kill me," she said simply. "You're the only one who can."_

_"You're okay with me killing you… If I tell you first?" Puck asked softly._

_"Well yeah," she said, smiling softly, her eyes a little crazed. "I love you, Puck."_

_Puck swallowed. "I… Love you too. Then… When it's time, I… I'll let you know."_

_He turned away, tears burning in his eyes. Just when he thought she wouldn't make him cry anymore…_

Future Puck shook his head, dispelling the memories. He had warned her, and he had destroyed her. He had nothing left to lose in his time.

The journal pages shook.

It was all Puck could do to fight back the tears that threatened to fill his eyes and spill down his cheeks as he read through the words that were scrawled across the pages. Sentence after sentence of Sabrina's handwriting, and each word cut heavily into him.

Throughout their fighting, not once had she ever changed her feelings towards him. The doubt had to have been clawing at her - in some instances, he could practically feel it, as though doubt were a tangible force wanting to rise up and swallow him whole. Still, she'd remained certain that they would eventually work things out.

She'd written it herself. They were NOT breaking up.

Guilt gnawed at him. She'd been feeling this way and…and he'd never even listened to her. Oh, he claimed that he didn't have to. That there was nothing she could tell him that he didn't already know. God, what kind of pompous bastard was he? Why hadn't he just listened to her?

Oh, right. Pompous bastard. That was why.

And then that final entry… that was, perhaps, the hardest one of all to swallow. He'd treated her like shit, there was no better way to describe it, and…she still held onto their promise. The promise that he said he wasn't even sure he believed in anymore. Well, that'd been a lie. He detested the fact that he'd even said that to her at the time. That promise, their promise, was something that he was never going to let go.

No matter what.

Clutching the delicate paper in his hands, mindful not to rip or crease it too badly, Puck looked up from the pages.. It was as if a light had just gone on - the knowledge of what would happen to Sabrina, who she would become, combined with what he had just read in those journals… he could not lose the girl who had written these words. He'd swallow his pride and every rotten emotion he'd felt in the past weeks, and he'd make things right with her.

"I'm not going to stop until I find her," he said fiercely, eyes blazing hot with emotion, and the faintest glimmer of unshed tears. "If anyone thinks that after this I'm just going to go off on my own…they're insane. I'm going to find her. And I'm going to bring her home."

"When the barrier falls, what do you plan to do?" Future Puck asked, watching his younger self with a sense of relief. He'd wondered if he would have had to beat it into him, but he should have given himself more credit. Then again, he knew himself. He didn't deserve more credit.

Veronica leaned her head on Henry's shoulder in relief for a moment, then stood back up and stroked Cory's soft brown hair. The dread and horror that had been gnawing at her heart were slowly fading away. Puck was proving himself—reassuring her that she hadn't made a mistake by trusting him with Sabrina's heart and safety after all.

Puck looked at his future self. "What do you think I'm going to do?" he demanded. "I'm going to find her." He looked down at his wrist, at the red bracelet that wrapped around it. "And unless they took off the partner to this, I might not even have to look over the entire city to do it."

Henry hugged Veronica close, looking at Puck in relief. As long as Puck searched for Sabrina, they stood a chance at finding her. The bracelets had never failed to locate each other, not to Henry's knowledge.

"They didn't," Future Puck murmured. "That's how I found her when I returned. She still wore it."

He looked to the barrier. "It's getting weaker. It's almost time."

William looked to Snow and Cassia. "Do you want to come with me to apprehend Bluebeard, or do you want to go with Briar and Jake to tend to Daphne and Red Riding Hood?"

"You think I'm going home?" Jake asked, looking over.

"You won't let Briar go alone," William said simply. "And she is not suited to be near Bluebeard."

Jake scowled. That was true. "Right. I'm taking Briar to mom's place."

Briar tightened her grip on Jake just a little. She knew he wanted to go after Sabrina...but she had to admit to a bit of selfishness when she admitted that she wanted Jake to stay with her.

Snow looked down at Cassia. A part of her did want to go with William - and yet, Bluebeard alarmed her just as much as he did every other woman in town. And there was her daughter to consider. She couldn't bear the thought of letting Cassia out of her sight.

"I'll go with Briar and Jake," Snow decided. She met her husband's gaze. "Stop that man. Stop him from hurting Sabrina - and anyone else."

"Daphne and Red must be so frightened right now," Relda said in realization, and Mr. Canis let out a growl. He was anxious for the barrier to drop - anxious to be gone from this room and take care of those who threatened their family.

Henry looked at Veronica. "Take Cory," he said, "and go back to the house with Jake and the others. I'm going to help bring Sabrina home."

Veronica nodded softly. "Bring our baby home, Henry."

"Me babweh," Cory pointed at his own nose, making Veronica laugh in relief and hold him close.

"I'm... I'm going to go with the others to get Daphne," Kerdy said quietly. "Puck, don't screw up. Okay?"

Future Puck ignored most of them, touching the barrier. He hadn't been able to help for so many years... And now he was getting his chance. _'Sabrina...'_

Puck looked at Kerdy and nodded. "Just go make sure the marshmallow's okay," he said. "She's_ your _priority."

And Sabrina was his. He walked over to Future Puck, standing next to him and looking at the barrier.

"I'm not going to let her down," he said to his future self.

"I'd like to say I completely believe you," Future Puck murmured. "But the problem is, it took losing her to make me understand what an ass I'd been. You didn't go through all of that."

"No, I didn't," Puck said. "But, well...I saw what she became. And I don't want that happening. Ever." He looked at Future Puck. "I didn't go through all of that, but I know that I don't want to."

Future Puck looked to him for a moment, then back to the barrier. "I regretted it every single day, you know."

"Regretted what?" Puck asked, looking at him. His first instinct was the fighting with Sabrina - but that was what he would have regretted. Future Puck had, like he'd said, gone through different things.

"Not going after her that night," he said. "I never regretted choosing her over the world. Not once. But I regret letting her run away after I had hurt her and made her think that I hadn't meant our promise."

He reached for the journal pages, taking them back. "Without her, the world was dead to me anyway."

Puck relinquished the journal pages - they belonged to Future Puck, a part of his world. "I'll do right by her," he said quietly. "I can't promise that I won't fight with her again, but...I'll do right by her."

"Fight with her all you want," Future Puck said. "No amount of fighting would ruin what you have. What I once had. But don't throw her away. If you can promise me that you won't make the same mistakes I did, even if it gets tough, then I'll leave her to you."

Puck look at Future Puck, and he nodded. "You've got my word," he said. "No matter how tough it gets, I'm keeping her."

Future Puck gave a wry grin. A shadow of the playful, cocky grin he had once mastered. "Then when this barrier falls, you keep her. And leave Bluebeard to me."

The barrier flickered, making Future Puck touch it. "It's almost time to save her."

"Be careful," Veronica murmured, kissing Henry again. Cory tried to cling to him, but he'd cried so much earlier, he slipped right off and back into Veronica's arms.

Puck took a deep breath, staring at the barrier. His hand moved to rest on top of his bracelet.

"We will," Henry promised, returning her kiss and then adding another to the top of Cory's head. "Be good for your mother, and give your sister a big kiss for me, Cory," he said to the little boy.

"You be careful, too," Snow murmured, looking up at William. Cassia had her thumb shoved into her mouth, and she was looking up at her father with big eyes.

"Sabwa," Cory mumbled, shoving his hand into his mouth and gnawing on it delicately. At the same time, William reached down and stroked Cassia's hair, petting her as if she were a kitten. Then he grimaced, picking her up briefly and patting her head gently. He hadn't quite gotten used to the fact that Cassia was a little person--after all, she seemed to like the attention, no matter how strange it could be.

"And we'll bring Sabrina home," Henry promised Cory, touching his cheek.

Cassia beamed, and then tried to press kisses on her father's face. "Da!" she said happily, eating up all of his attention and causing Snow to melt as she watched them.

"Down," William said gently after getting a few kisses on his chin. Cassia smiled, obediently halting her kisses at William's command.

"She's not a dog, William," Veronica said dryly.

"I'm teaching her to obey rules--something your daughters should have been taught," William said with a snooty grimace.

Snow shook her head slightly in amusement, and then reached to take Cassia back. "We'll be waiting for you all," she said. "Come back safe."

Puck nodded slightly - but he knew he wouldn't be coming back until he had Sabrina in his arms.

In that moment, the barrier fell. Wasting no time, Future Puck and Puck activated their bracelets, wings propelling them to move faster than anyone else. They both took to the air outside, soaring above the mansion in no time in their race to get to Bluebeard's castle.

Future Puck was silent, the twin threads of glimmering silk glinting in the midday light.

Puck's eyes remained fixated on the silk, a look of fierce determination and focus on his face. He knew the others were following them, but he didn't let that stop him from going at his fastest speed possible.

_'I'm coming, Sabrina,'_ he thought. _'I'm coming. I'll be there soon.' _

"When we get there," Future Puck broke the silence a moment later. "He'll be hurting her. Too much time passed, thanks to Will. But I know the route to the room she was in by heart. She burned the castle to the ground, but her dreams explained how to get there, and she always explained her dreams. Let me go first and get to him. You follow--even though the cord will lead us, there are things that can slow us down."

Puck nodded. "I'm going to leave Bluebeard to you," he said, "and I'm going to go straight to Sabrina as soon as I see her." Because he was sure that after Bluebeard had been hurting her, Sabrina was going to need him.

"If he takes her innocence away before we get to him, I may stick around for another hundred and fifty years just to kill Will again," Future Puck swore.

"I'd have no issues with that - I never liked him," Puck growled, his wings beating the air faster. He prayed they'd be in time. They_ had_ to be in time!

"She liked him," Future Puck muttered. Then he shook his head. "It doesn't matter. Right now, she believes no one is coming. Be gentle with her, she sustained terrible injuries before she absorbed the magic. Something about her ankle--she never said it clearly."

The castle came into view, and Future Puck shifted into a dive, taking on speed.

Puck didn't respond to Future Puck - there wasn't time, though he filed the knowledge away as he swept his wings back and plunged into his own dive, right behind his older self.

They were close. The silk led into the castle, and Puck knew instinctively that he would find Sabrina within.

Just as they reached the castle doors, with Future Puck burning them apart in mere moments, a terrible scream of sheer agony jolted them both. It was Sabrina's voice, and it was a sound neither would ever forget.

"SABRINA!" they shouted in unison, both charging forward.

Sabrina's scream had cut through Puck, and it echoed in his mind even after it had ended. The castle passed in a blur as he followed Future Puck, hardly paying attention to their surroundings, focused only on the cord. His ears strained for any sound from Sabrina. His heart pounded in his chest - no, it was practically in his throat.

A second scream followed moments later, making Future Puck push himself harder to follow. His own power made the walls crack and warp around him, secret doors exploding before he was within touching range. Anyone who got in their way was burned before he even saw them.

Sabrina sounded awful... The idea of her being in any pain made their blood boil. Both future and present Puck were fueled simply by the urge to protect the girl they both loved.

***.*.*.*.*Earlier…*.*.*.*.***

Sabrina had very little time to react before the transportation orb's glow faded. The sense of magic still tingled in her hand, but she ignored it. She rolled onto her side and pushed herself up, scrambling away on shaky legs. She could hear them shouting at her, and she knew they'd catch her, but she had to try. Reacting on instinct and adrenaline happened to be one of her strong points, and that was something she was very thankful for.

Her hands were tied at such an angle that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't squeeze the bracelet and try to get Puck's attention. But even if she did… Would he care? He was doubting the promise they'd made, doubting her trust and her feelings in him. Would he understand or care that she needed his help? Or that she was terrified, and in the hands of the man he promised to protect her from? She wasn't sure. There was a very real chance that if she squeezed the bracelet, he'd just deactivate it. And what if Daphne and Red didn't find him in time to tell him how serious it was so he could save her? What if he just didn't care? What if it was too late, and all of her plans to apologize to him after the meeting meant nothing? Was it possible he wouldn't love her anymore? Her heart ached at the thought, and she made herself swear to herself then and there that nothing would make her stop loving Puck. She loved him no matter what.

Tears stung her eyes, blurring her vision as she tried to run. _'Puck…' _even if they hurt her, killed her, locked her away forever, she just wanted to see him again before the end. More than anything, she just wanted Puck to smile at her like he used to, before he couldn't stand to be around her. Even if it was just once.

A hand grasped her long hair, yanking her backwards and making her trip. With a cry, Sabrina hit the ground again, and didn't recover before he was on top of her, gripping her hair tight and squeezing her throat with his other hand.

"Should we break her legs so she can't do that again?" someone asked with a sneer. Maybe Goat-Face.

"I'll be making it so she can't walk, don't worry," Bluebeard hissed down at her, looking at her with eyes so cold that she trembled in fear. He was just as evil as the day she'd met him, but now he no longer tried to conceal his intentions with a charming and charismatic smile. His cold eyes betrayed every evil thought in his heart, making her whimper with cold fear.

Just as she felt the panic of not being able to breathe shift into a dull pain that meant she was dying, he released her. The coughing came next, and then she was aware that she was being tossed over a shoulder and carried away. Her vision flickered, and a moment later she passed out.

She dreamt of a happier time. She and Puck sat in the tree house late at night, while fireworks went off into the starry sky above the trampoline. They were both wrapped in a blanket, holding onto a cup of hot chocolate while they snuggled. They only had one cup, and both of them were trying to get to the marshmallows before the other. This led to a lot of accidental kissing and a bit of spilled chocolate, before purposeful kissing and a forgotten drink. She'd shifted in his arms and touched his cheek, brushing the tips of her fingers right under his eye. He gave her his promise, and she gave him her heart all over again.

When Sabrina awoke again, she found herself being dragged by her arms over a cold stone floor. Her wrists throbbed, and she tasted blood in her mouth. A rope had been added on to the bindings on her wrist, giving Bluebeard enough to pull and still drag her along behind him like she didn't matter.

Bluebeard must have gotten tired of carrying her on his shoulder.

Sabrina shifted a bit, then shuddered when she realized they were in Bluebeard's home. Where else could it be? _'Please don't let him do those things he did to the other children to me,' _she thought, recalling with a jarring panic the things she had found on the internet. Combined with her dreams and what Puck had told her, she was just plain terrified.

Another thought struck her. The mossy stones of the castle were the exact same ones she'd seen before, so many times in her dreams.

_'The pain… Oh god, the pain is coming, the pain from my dreams, but I won't wake up and escape it… Somebody help me! Please!' _She had to bite down hard on her lip to avoid crying and screaming out loud. Panic wouldn't help her. She needed to be calm.

He didn't bother picking her up when he dragged her down the stairs, and each stone step felt like a full-fledged punch. She held in her cries as best as possible, waiting for the best moment to try and stand again. She didn't see any others, so if she could just get a good footing and tug the rope away, she had a chance to outrun him.

At least, Sabrina was hoping her plan would work. She had a good idea of how Bluebeard planned on keeping her from walking, and like hell she was going to go down without a fight. Another stone step caught her in the ribs, almost convincing her that giving up would probably hurt less. She was simply amazed that her bones weren't broken already.

Maybe all of Puck's pranks that had catapulted her around had toughened her up after all.

When they hit the bottom of the stairs, she saw him turning the corner. Ignoring the sharp stabs of pain in her arms and hips, she rolled herself hard into the wall, catching the rope attached to her wrists and tugging, so that the leverage might make him lose his grip.

It tore free with a sound of shock from him, and then she was pushing herself up, hoping he would take his time thinking she'd caught on something accidentally.

Halfway up the stairs, she heard his shout of anger and could practically feel him chasing her. She lost her footing a few times, practically crawling up the stairs as fast as her bruised and broken body would allow, but the rope caught a few times and nearly tripped her.

She half-stumbled, grasping the top of the stairs to try and pull herself up with a sob, everything aching. It was her last chance to get away from him, but she was reacting slower than she'd thought she would. The stairs were completely dark, lit only by a dim torch near the top. The doorway to her own personal hell.

Right before she hauled herself into the light, Bluebeard grabbed her ankle, tearing her from the top of the stairs and hauling her up by her shirt. "I wouldn't try that again," he said, backhanding her. The action was more degrading than painful, leaving a red mark on her cheek.

"Go to hell," she whispered. "You ugly bastard."

Narrowing his eyes, he turned and shoved her down the stairs—it wouldn't really matter to him if she survived or not. He would enjoy her either way.

She stumbled, crying out when she lost her footing and hit the stone steps on her side. She thought for sure she was going to die as she half-rolled down the stairs, unable to stop her head from hitting the steps, but for some miraculous reason, she didn't.

When Sabrina landed in a crumpled pile at the bottom of the stairs, before she could marvel at the fact that she'd survived, a sharp kick got her in the right side, making her cry out. That time, she'd felt a rib snap. It was a familiar feeling, and in a brief moment of near-hysteria, she wondered if she'd end up with another punctured lung.

He didn't grab her wrists again, instead grabbing the back of her shirt and hauling her that way. It was more painful, and harder for her to try and get away.

When they reached a bedroom that looked like a torture chamber, with a bed in the middle, chains on the walls, and an old-fashioned medieval rack, Sabrina was desperately holding back tears and thinking of another way to escape.

She winced in pain again when he tossed her up against a wall, momentarily seeing bright flashes of white light in front of her face, and the moment she'd regained her footing, he threw her to the ground again on her stomach. The motion knocked the wind out of her, and he simply watched her struggle to breathe.

Tearfully, Sabrina pushed herself up a bit, catching the sight of something glimmering in the dim light near her wrists. Before she got a good look, she heard a tortured scream and felt a crushing feeling of white-hot agony in her right leg.

The sound was horrible, blood-curdling and raw. She wanted whoever it was to shut their mouth and stop it.

Then she realized she was the one screaming. Bluebeard had brought his foot down _hard _on her right ankle, and she was logically thinking he may have shattered it or broken her foot completely off. Maybe pain made her think the 'foot off' part—it was a little illogical.

Either way, her body shook and sobs left her without permission. She didn't protest as he rolled her over and pinned her wrists over her head, tearing her shirt off with his other hand. Her jeans had ripped in a few places as well, but now she was mostly naked from the waist up. Her bra was cute with blue lace fringe, something her mother had helped her pick out, and she didn't want him to rip it. What if she never saw her mother again? It was the last thing her mother had given her…

She felt his breath on her neck, hot and disgusting. The sounds he made were all wrong. His hands were too big and rough, calloused against her smooth skin. The only person who had ever touched her had been Puck, and his touch had been just as nervous as hers.

It was all wrong.

_'Somebody,' _she pleaded silently, choking on a sob. She didn't have the energy to scream anymore, or do much of anything else.

It wasn't supposed to be like this.

She had been imagining her first time for quite a while. Ever since she and Puck had gotten to the point of sneaking soft touches underneath shirts or sometimes on the leg, she had wondered what it would be like to go that next step with him. She had imagined him to act confident and cocky, say he knew all about it… Maybe refuse to say anything at all. It didn't matter to her which one held true. She'd expected his touch would be fluttering and nervous, but he would still be mindful of any discomfort or fear she might have.

She'd read that the first time could be painful—it was a worry she had, considering she didn't like pain. And since Puck had never done that with anyone else, he wouldn't know what to expect with her either. There were many fears or worries over what the first time could be like. Maybe she wouldn't be able to handle the pain, or maybe she wouldn't be any good… Maybe Puck wouldn't enjoy it, or wouldn't know how to make it feel nice. Maybe they'd find there was no spark, and neither of them wanted to do it again.

Any of those options was still better than the idea of her first time being with a cruel man against her will. And the truth was, Bluebeard didn't care if he hurt her. He wouldn't care if she said no. She'd heard that rape could be painful, or just emotionally terrifying. It could even feel good—as long as it wasn't consensual, even if it was the best feeling in the world, it was still rape.

And while any kind of rape scared her, she had a feeling Bluebeard was going to be just as violent and painful as he had been during her capture, and the biggest fear in her mind was that it would break her, physically and emotionally. She didn't want to become a victim, or live in fear of someone like Bluebeard.

She felt his body covering hers, hands moving her legs. The horrible burn shot up her right leg from her ankle, but she couldn't fight back or do much of anything. It hurt too much, and she was too scared.

_'Puck,' _she thought helplessly. She would have given anything to be back in his arms.

Bluebeard smirked, hand moving down her thigh and over her knee. She had just a moment to wonder what he was doing before his hand clutched her shattered ankle, making her scream again, jerking her body.

The pain was so terrible, Sabrina thought maybe she was losing her mind. She thought she heard voices. Ones she wanted to hear, yelling for her… But Bluebeard hadn't reacted to it, and she was sure it was all in her head. All she could do was beg him to stop, not wanting him to do what he planned with her. Her voice was hoarse and raw, nearly hysteric after the screaming stopped. He seemed to enjoy her panic.

"Please no," Sabrina managed to whisper, closing her eyes as the tears slid down her cheek. She cried out again when he hauled her up, holding her by her bound wrists. She hadn't even seen the chain descending from the ceiling with a hook on the end, but he hooked the rope between her hands into it, cutting away the excess that he had dragged her with.

She didn't know whether or not to be thankful or afraid that her feet didn't quite reach the ground, because it meant she wouldn't put pressure on her broken ankle. Relief in any form went away when she remembered what he planned to do with her, and she tried to bring her left foot up to kick him.

Glaring in frustration at her disobedience, he brought his fist up into her stomach, making the chain swing and rattle above her. She stopped trying to kick him, just breathing heavily through the pain that laced her entire body like a second skin.

"It's a shame you're not a few years younger," Bluebeard sighed. But he reached into his pocket and brought a knife out, tracing it over her throat and down to her chest. Sabrina flinched at the feeling of the cold metal against her skin, bracing herself for the cuts she knew had to be coming, but he didn't break the skin. His smirk grew, and the moment he opened her eyes, he put just enough pressure to draw a bit of blood, slicing through the middle of her bra with it.

Sabrina didn't even feel the pain in her chest. Her leg hurt too much, tears sliding down her cheeks in torrents. He grabbed a fistful of her golden hair, bringing her close and inhaling at the hollow of her throat, making another sob rise from her chest. '_Puck…_'

She felt Bluebeard's hands going to the waistband of her jeans, and her thoughts became a desperate scream in her own mind. She didn't care if she was being a damsel in distress, or that she needed to rely on someone else to save her. She just wanted to be freed and protected from Bluebeard.

'_Puck… Puck!" _She thought, squeezing her eyes shut. _'Please help me!'_

Abruptly, Bluebeard's hands were gone. She heard a sharp crack, followed by a scream of agony—but she was probably only hearing her own voice again. She'd stopped keeping track of when she screamed and when she didn't. It simply hurt too much to try and rationalize it.

A sudden sense of weightlessness hit her, hands falling separately from their bonds, and her body had something warm to lean against. She opened her blurry eyes, vision obscured by tears as her hands both pressed into something. Fabric… And a familiar feeling beneath it.

_'What?' _she could see a pair of black wings, and a slow fire blazing along Bluebeard's frame—but that made no sense to her. It was also far away, closer to the wall than the chains she had been hung from. Turning, she tried to look at whatever had picked her up, keeping her weight off of her broken ankle, her arms no longer being strained. She smelled pine…

Her eyes flickered to the source, unable to focus. Gold, green, a flash of pink… He was calling her name…

And the world went black, a numbness taking over the pain.

***.*.*.*.***

Future Puck didn't even wait for the door to finish exploding as he flew through, deactivating his bracelet and grabbing Bluebeard by the throat. He'd pulled a sword, slashing the ropes that held Sabrina in the same motion, before slamming the vile monster against the wall. He had to trust that his younger self would catch Sabrina before she hit.

He'd only had one moment to glimpse the scene before he'd acted. Seeing Sabrina's condition to him, had been like slow-motion horror. He was grateful that his younger self would have more time to analyze what was wrong with her, and comfort her until Future Puck could help her. For the moment, he wanted to use his killing rage to take care of every person in the castle.

Puck caught Sabrina in his arms, embracing her and holding her against his chest as he kept her from falling to the ground. He lifted her carefully, keeping her ankle from touching the ground.

All it took was one look at her to know that the ankle was broken - its angle was a telltale sign. The sight filled him with anger, but he pushed it back. It was hard to do—the sight of the tears soaking her cheeks made him want to embrace the anger and make someone pay. He had to remind himself that she needed him more than he needed revenge.

"Sabrina," he said softly, looking down at her. "Sabrina, I'm here. You're safe now." He held her close to his chest, being careful of the other injuries he was sure she had. Already there were bruises forming on her skin.

He saw her eyes flicker up to him, but they couldn't seem to focus as he called her name again. And then her eyes fluttered shut, and his heart seized. For a moment panic went through him - until he realized that she had merely passed her in his arms.

A fierce look of protection filled his expression. Future Puck could handle the ones who had done this to her - now, he needed to get her to safety.

Turning briefly, Future Puck looked to her. "Take her home. I'll follow shortly, once I watch them all slowly burn. She won't wake up before I fix her injuries."

He was barely heard over Bluebeard's agonized screaming, as inch by inch, his skin sizzled away, fire lacing his clothing.

Puck nodded. "Come back when you're done," he said, not wanting Sabrina to have to suffer pain any longer than she needed to.

He didn't hesitate to carry her out then, being careful of her ankle. The moment he was out of the castle he spread his wings and lifted into the sky without hesitation.

_'I've got you, Sabrina,'_ Puck thought, looking down at her. _'And I won't ever let you go.' _

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

Kerdy nearly tripped when he saw Red and Daphne making their way towards William's mansion. The girls both looked panicked--both had tears on their cheeks, and both freaked out when they saw the group heading for their cars.

Immediately, Kerdy changed direction and ran to Daphne, kneeling down and putting his hands on her shoulders. "Princess, calm down! It's okay!"

"Kerdy!" Daphne threw her arms around Kerdy and couldn't keep another wave of tears from falling. "Kerdy it's not okay Sabrina's in danger we have to find her it's been too long it's not okay!" She was sobbing by this point, unable to stop herself.

Mr. Canis rushed to Red, wrapping his arms around the girl he had come to call his daughter and holding her tightly.

Kerdy wrapped his arms around Daphne tightly, while Red burst into hysterics and practically climbed Mr. Canis to tell him what was wrong.

"Daphne," Kerdy said sternly, trying to interrupt her wailing. "Sabrina's going to be fine. Puck and well... A future version of Puck, both went after her. Everything was explained."

"Wh-what?" Red's hysteria died down, her attention on Kerdy as Jake, Briar, Snow, and Veronica hurried over with the babies.

Daphne pulled back a little - whether it was what he said or the way he said it that got through to her, she couldn't say. All that mattered was that she pulled back, and stared up at him with wide eyes.

"Puck went after her?" she asked, her voice trembling. "He really did?" She clutched at Kerdy's shirt tightly.

"A future Puck?" Red whispered.

"Yes," Kerdy said softly. "They used the bracelets to find Sabrina. And Red... Please don't cry," he looked at her briefly. "You were never in any danger of becoming the Heartless."

"How..." Red's eyes filled with tears again.

"Sabrina was the Heartless all along," Kerdy said gently. "But the future Puck is going to stop it from happening."

Mr. Canis cupped the back of Red's head, and nodded silently to her in agreement with Kerdy.

Tears shimmered in Daphne's eyes, but she refused to let them fall. "The Heartless was Sabrina?" she whispered. "She was?"

"She was," Kerdy murmured, reaching up to gently brushing one of his knuckles under her eyes, catching the tears before they had a chance to fall. "But she won't be anymore. I'll explain everything on the way home while we wait, okay Princess?"

Daphne sniffled, but Kerdy's words were the best calming effect in the world. She nodded tearfully. "Okay," she whispered. She reached up and held onto his wrist. "Thanks, Kerdy."

Smiling gently, he stood back up and put his hand on the back of her head, guiding her to the car while Red cried with relief.

***.*.*.*.***

Puck beat them home. He was sitting on the couch with Sabrina in his arms when they arrived. She was mostly hidden from view--her ripped shirt and bra had left her too exposed, so Puck had his wings around her while they waited, his attention soley on her.

Her legs were bent, one propped up as carefully as possibly on a pillow--in addition, a swarm of pixies used gentle warmth to soothe and keep the ankle from banging into anything. They were forming a barrier around it.

At the sight, Jake put his hand on Relda's shoulder. She'd been mostly silent, praying for things to be okay, but he wanted to be able to offer her support. He also wrapped his arm firmly around Briar's waist, squeezing her gently.

Relda's breath hitched when she saw the sight of Puck and Sabrina on the couch. "Oh, _liebling,"_ she whispered, gazing at them. She stood there for a moment, and then hurried for the bathroom to locate first aid kit to help if she could.

Daphne let out a gasp, taking a step forward - and then hesitating. The way that Puck and Sabrina looked on the couch, with Puck's wings around her and the pixies hovering around Sabrina's ankle - she almost didn't want to interrupt it.

Puck looked up, finally realizing they were there. "About time you guys got here," he said. "She's okay. Injured, banged up...but once my future self gets here, he says he can heal her."

Veronica wiped at the tears in her eyes, biting her lip. "Snow," she whispered. "Can you please take Cory for a moment?"

Cory looked up, puffing his chubby cheeks, before turning to smile at Cassia.

"Of course," Snow said softly, moving to take the little boy. Cassia immediately held her hands out at Cory, looking pleased at having him come closer.

Veronica made her way to the couch, kneeling down and looking over Sabrina wherever she could. "Oh Sabrina," she whispered. She looked so pale and lifeless... And the injuries...!

"When is Future Puck coming?" Kerdy asked, keeping his hands on Daphne's shoulders.

"He said as soon as he's done dealing with the people at the castle," Puck said. "I'm pretty certain he intended to kill them all." And he wasn't the slightest bit upset with that idea. They deserved it. Each and every one of them.

Daphne leaned back against Kerdy. "Her ankle," she whispered, looking at it. Relda came back into the room with the first aid kit and knelt down next to Veronica. She didn't want to touch the ankle - the pixies were tending to it - but there were cuts and scrapes all over Sabrina's body that she could try to do something about.

"Don't bother," Future Puck's voice made Kerdy jump a mile. He looked happy--and there was no evidence he'd just slowly burned a handful of Everafters to death from the inside out.

He moved closer and motioned for Puck to move his wings, hand glowing. Red stared at him, unable to help it. Future Puck was incredibly handsome and heroic looking.

Relda looked at Future Puck, and then moved to stand up and get out of the way.

Daphne stared at Future Puck. And, despite the fact that her affections lay elsewhere, she couldn't help the fleeting thought that Sabrina was very, very lucky.

Puck moved his wings, revealing the rest of Sabrina's condition to the room - but he didn't mind, because he had faith that Future Puck would be able to help Sabrina.

Veronica's breath caught, but before she could speak up about the injuries, Future Puck laid his hand against Sabrina's cheek. A warm glow settled over her, healing every injury and mending her clothing. She looked as good as new in mere moments, her ankle no longer even bruised. The pixies let it down, backing off as Sabrina started to stir, groaning.

"Sabrina," Daphne whispered, as Mr. Canis squeezed Red's shoulders gently. Relda placed her hand on Veronica's arm, and Briar leaned against Jake with a look of sheer relief on her face.

Puck took a deep breath, looking down at her. "Hey," he said quietly, his voice thick. She looked like she'd never even been injured.

He couldn't help it. He hugged her close, suddenly, no longer needing to worry about her injuries.

Sabrina's eyes fluttered open very slowly as she began to regain consciousness. She seemed confused and unaware--but Future Puck knew her better than anybody else. As her right arm shifted, hand clenching into a fist, he caught her hand before she could punch Puck right in the face.

His grip and his smile were affectionate as he regarded her, and she started to blink herself awake in confusion. "Wha... Whaaat?"

Puck's eyes went huge when he realized how closely he'd come to having Sabrina's fist in his face. He'd forgotten completely about her tendencies when she was disoriented and unsure of her surroundings.

"Holy shit, Sabrina," was the first thing that he could think of to say - and then he stopped, realizing that Sabrina had just come face to face with Future Puck for the first time.

Sabrina stared up at them blankly. They were the only two people she could see, and her mouth fell open a little. "Whaaat...?"

Laughing, Future Puck let go of her hand, pulling her from Puck's arms and hugging her tightly. "It's really you," he said warmly. "I've missed you for a long, long time."

"W...Whaaat?"

Daphne's eyes were wide, and she was looking back and forth between Future Puck and Sabrina, and Puck, like she were watching a tennis match. Puck stayed seated, not moving as he stared at Future Puck silently. But he didn't object to the hug. After all, Future Puck was himself. If he had a problem with them hugging...that was just plain silly. Besides which, well... Puck really wasn't an idiot.

By saving Sabrina, they'd just erased the entire timeline that had created Future Puck in the first place.

Future Puck pulled back to look at Sabrina, eyes savoring the sight of her. Before she could react, he kissed her. It was a little awkward for several people in the room, and yet there was a sweetness to it that just seemed right. Even Sabrina relaxed, allowing the passionate kiss that took her breath away and made her melt. She felt warm all over, almost tingly. It was like a rush, fizzing over every nerve ending she had. She couldn't describe how or why she got that feeling, but she wasn't complaining, either. It let her mind cloud over from the events she had just suffered, relaxing her for the time being.

Puck had to turn his head away slightly and close his eyes - even to him it felt like he was intruding a little, watching that kiss.

Blushing, Daphne turned slightly so that her cheek was resting against Kerdy's chest. She had to remind herself that the man kissing Sabrina was Puck, or a version of Puck, because otherwise it was too...odd.

When Future Puck broke the kiss, he smiled and leaned down, whispering something to her that no one else managed to hear. He placed her back in Puck's arms while she stared up at him, a blush on her cheeks, and then he put his hand on his own younger self's head.

There was a sharp jolting feeling that felt like being submerged in ice water, washing over every inch of younger Puck. The jolt caused Puck to tighten his arms around Sabrina, his eyes widening in shock as he stared up at his future self.

"What..." His voice trailed off...he felt a little fuzzy, even when talking. His confusion was betrayed in his eyes, unsure of what had just happened. He felt...different. But he couldn't say why.

Future Puck stood, backing away. "You two should visit New York," he said simply. "It'll be a nice vacation."

"But Puck can't leave the b..." Jake trailed off suddenly. Future Puck's smile only got wider.

"Huh?" Daphne looked at her uncle - Briar was blinking up at Jake in confusion.

Relda suddenly covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes widening.

"...." Puck stared at Future Puck silently. "...you..." It was the only word he could get off, too stunned as his brain slowly filled in the reasons behind what Future Puck had just told them.

"Whaaat?" Sabrina breathed again, looking back and forth between them in confusion.

"For now, you should go somewhere and talk," Future Puck grinned. "It'll sink in for her soon, and she'll need you. As for me..."

He bowed with flourish, wings folding in. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye?" Red whispered. "Where will you go?"

"To be with her," Future Puck murmured, smiling and closing his eyes as he stood tall. "My future is gone. My past is gone. I have no reason to be here."

"Will you really get to be with her?" Puck asked, staring at Future Puck. If the future and past were gone for him...wouldn't he just cease to exist entirely?

A part of him hoped not. A part of him wanting his future self, who had risked everything, to be able to find rest with the one he loved, too.

Puck held Sabrina close, staring at Future Puck - and he felt a lump forming in his throat. _'Oh, hell, no,'_ he told himself sternly. _'I'm not going to get choked up over this.'_

Future Puck's smile became a full smirk. "You doubt the word of the Trickster King?"

With one last bow, he faded, a soft shower of sparkles and magic filling the area he had been.

Sabrina swallowed, staring at the spot the strange version of Puck had stood. Then she turned to look at Puck, starting to realize where she was and who she was with.

Swallowing, Veronica stood and motioned for the others to go with her--they needed time alone, and Veronica was anxious to find out where the men were.

Puck hardly noticed as everyone filed out of the room - his eyes were only on Sabrina.

He swallowed the lump in his throat. "Sabrina," he said softly.

He didn't say much more than that at the moment. He let his actions speak for him, as he cupped her cheek and leaned in to kiss her. He had a lot of kisses to make up to her.

Sabrina didn't protest the kiss, but it was over quickly as she pulled back, looking at him. "Puck?" she whispered. "Is this really..." she swallowed, panic rising in her chest. She remembered the fighting, and she remembered Bluebeard. What had... What had happened to her?

"It's all right, Sabrina," Puck said. "You're safe. You're home. And that bastard is never going to hurt you again."

He smoothed his fingers over her cheek. "I promise."

Tears welled up in Sabrina's eyes, spilling over without permission. She threw her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder, sobbing.

Questions and explanations could wait. Her confusion could wait. Even Future Puck's parting whisper to her could wait, as she let out all the pent up emotions and fears she'd had. His arms were tight around her, and she heard his murmured apologies, but they both seemed to be waiting for her to calm down.

When she finally managed to stop crying, holding on so tight it almost hurt, she recalled the whisper that confused her almost as much as the current situation and future Puck's presence to begin with.

_'You'll see Will again one day. Just not in the same way you did before.' _

She didn't understand what that meant--after all, no one had been given a chance to tell her that Will was no longer in their time.

***.*.*.*.***

**A/N:**

**Sky: Bwahahahaha. Yes. Puck can now leave the barrier. There is so much more stuff incoming, don't worry ^^ **Whee fluff! Okay Ayns is already asleep, and it's like 2:30 AM. Keepin' it short.

**Thank you so much to our awesome and faithful reviewers! You guys made my birthday rock awesomesauce style!: Blue-Eyed-Lily, Viva-Musica, Zeorzia, Amy**(x2!), **Hypocritically Her, Squiggles, knoxalot, ACertainPeantuButterSandwich, Dramaqueenruling, SeekDreamsAndFindHope, DeDe, chemicalsilver, Chicgeek4ever, Ascaisil, ILoveGeorgeCooper. BriarRoseIsAwesome, gothicgal000, Lyla Domae, fangfan5, Syd, Lara D**(x3! Aw, I'm so sorry you cried! Thank you very much! ^^; Glad you re-read, but you don't need to review every time XD We still love ya.), **Sabrina Grimm, obsessedwithbooks, Aquamarine Jazz, Tlsk, Twilit-Demon Sarathena Knight, DragonFly7312**(x3!), **RainbowofSmiles16, BookLoverXgoogle, Schadenfreude62, silent-entrance, brii**(x4! Your reviews were very sweet, but aiee! /stagger. So much enthusiasm!), **Lilyflower-314, msjezzi-bella, iD Sisters Grimm iD, RockSuperstar, curlscat, **and **KittyPryde90!**

Thank you everyone who gave me birthday wishes ^^ I had an AWESOME birthday, and yes, I'm 22 now. Whee!

**R/R luvvies!**


	29. Perfection

**EDIT: Sky: Re-Added scene skips.**

**A/N:**

**Sky:** Okay I had to piece out the timeline, and I'm pretty sure this takes place about… Middle of March-ish, is what we're going for, and they get out of school at the end of May. So it's about two and a half months til summer.

**Also remember, we anticipated about 40 chapters. We still have things to resolve :3 so no worries, this isn't over yet.**

And sorry for the huge delays on the stories. **My internet keeps going out, which makes it impossible to write with Ayns. We're hoping to fix that soon. I'm also still sick XD**

Anywhoo, Ayns is at work right now, but I have permissions to clean up and post the chapter. So please enjoy a nice helping of FLUFF!

***.*.*.*.***

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter Twenty-Nine: Perfection_**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

Puck held Sabrina, his eyes closed and his hand stroking her back, as she cried in his arms. He couldn't blame her in the slightest for her tears, not after everything that they had all been through - and her more than anyone else. If it had been this hellish for him, it had to have been far greater for her.

As her sobs slowed down, it occurred to him suddenly that she had no idea what had been going on since she'd been abducted by Bluebeard and the others. She didn't know anything about what had happened to Will, about who the Heartless was or why there had even been a Future Puck standing in the room and treating her as though he hadn't seen her in years. And, of course, she had no idea where he stood with things at the moment - because the last time they had talked, he had coldly told her that he didn't want to hear anything that she had to say.

Tenderly he pressed a kiss against her temple. "You and I should go talk, in private," he murmured softly to her. "There're some things that I need to explain to you, and things that we need to talk about."

And he had several apologies that he needed to make, and probably make them multiple times, too.

Sabrina shivered in his arms, clutching him a bit tighter at his words. "Okay," she agreed readily, voice shaking. She was definitely confused enough to need a lot of explaining. Her heart clenched at the idea that he needed to talk to her, though. She didn't know what to expect. "Where?"

"My room?" Puck suggested. "Since we can keep the door shut and there's a tree house." It seemed a lot more private to him than her bedroom at the moment.

Sabrina blinked back tears at the reminder of their tree house. "Okay," she whispered. She tried to walk, but she was still unsteady and overwhelmed, her legs giving out almost immediately.

"Hey, hey, hey." Puck said. "Don't try to do that. I don't want all of that healing undone." He didn't know if that was actually possible but he wasn't taking chances.

Instead he picked her up, carrying her to the stairs. "You're going to let me carry you," he declared unnecessarily.

Sabrina looked up at him for a moment, then bit her lip and buried her face in his shoulder again, holding on. "Okay," she mumbled. It wasn't like she could have stopped him if she'd wanted to, anyway.

Puck carried her straight to his room, pushing open the door and letting it swing shut behind him. And then he stopped short, eyes widening. "Whoa!"

Celeste snorted, stamping her hoof impatiently on the ground. From where she stood a few feet from the door, she gave Puck a very obvious 'Took you long enough to bring my human up here' look.

Sabrina looked up, but she just didn't have the energy to pay any attention to Celeste. She closed her eyes and hid her face in Puck's shoulder again.

Puck shook his head at the young horse. "Sorry, Celeste - she's really tired right now."

Celeste tilted her head to one side, and then tossed her head. With a flick of the tail she turned and trotted down the path. After a few steps she paused and looked back at Puck, silently questioning why he wasn't following with Sabrina.

Puck grinned, and started walking, allowing Celeste to escort them to the tree house.

Once to the tree house, Puck flew the two of them up to the entrance, and he carried Sabrina inside to the many pillows. "Do you want me to put you down?" he murmured, looking at her.

"Not really," Sabrina admitted quietly. "Do you want me to get down and sit over there?" She didn't look up at him when she said it.

"No," Puck said, his tone instantly serious. "I don't want to let you go at all." She hesitated, then turned to look up at him, eyes red-rimmed. She didn't answer or question him, but something in her expression seemed to soften with relief.

"We've got a lot of things to talk about," Puck said softly, looking down into her eyes, "but first I have to tell you something. Something important." He took a deep breath. "I love you, Sabrina."

It didn't matter that he'd said it before. It almost felt like the first time he'd ever told her - he was just as nervous, certainly.

Sabrina closed her eyes and hugged him tightly, shivering again with relief. She tried not to get choked up or tremble too much. After a moment, she took a deep breath. "I knew you wouldn't ditch me," she murmured. "I knew you'd show up and help me. God, I was so freaked out, and I was scared, but I knew you wouldn't let anything happen... You always seem to show up right in time to save me."

Puck hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath. "I didn't," he said quietly. He didn't elaborate for a moment, simply waiting for her reaction.

Sabrina frowned against his neck, confused by the words. She _clearly _remembered falling from the chains and being caught... The flashes of gold, pink and green--his hair, wings, and eyes... And the scent of pine. The same one she smelled now as she breathed in deeply.

Pulling back, she looked up at him, blue eyes filled with fresh confusion. "Maybe you should sit down and explain that to me."

Puck nodded. "It's probably going to sound pretty insane to you at first," he said as he settled on the pillows, and settled her into his lap. "And that's okay. It sounded insane to me at first."

"I want to know what you mean, Puck--give me more credit than that," she said, shivering and grabbing one of the fluffy fleece blankets from the pillow pile. She pulled it around them both, huddling for warmth. She couldn't explain why she felt so cold. "I remember you--you saved me from Bluebeard before he could... Before he could rape me." Sabrina wanted to curse when her voice wavered on the word 'rape'. "You caught me and took me home, and I woke up in your arms."

Then she paused. She'd seen black wings too, and a handsome man burning Bluebeard. The same handsome man who had kissed her and made her heart flutter like a drunken butterfly in her chest. His eyes had been Puck's--and Puck hadn't gotten upset. Come to think of it, how had that man caught her fist before she'd dented Puck's face? Her memories were becoming clearer, and nothing added up correctly.

Puck watched her, seeing the hesitation written on her face. "I did," he said in agreement. "This time. But there was another time when I didn't do that, Sabrina...and everything was different."

He gave her a searching look. "The man in the living room - have you figured out who he was?"

Sabrina shuddered again. That was the problem. She had--and now she didn't want to know. Very slowly, she nodded.

"He's the result of a timeline in which I failed to save you," Puck said. "He was from the same timeline that Will came from - the same one that the Heartless came from." His eyes grew sad. "I found out her identity as well."

Sabrina clutched the blanket tighter around them both. She felt like she knew that answer too. "Who... Who was she?"

Puck's arms tightened, as if he were afraid that as soon as he said it, she'd vanish. "You," he said softly. "Or who you would have become."

For a moment, Sabrina didn't say anything or even breathe. Honestly, the revelation didn't shock her as much as it should have. When she finally did look up at him, her eyes were resigned to the truth. "You didn't come save me for some reason. Bluebeard raped me, and I must have found magic... I lost myself and became the Heartless, didn't I? That's... That's why. It all makes sense."

Which was kind of funny for her to say--it sounded like it made no sense at all.

"In a really roundabout insane way...yeah, that's why," Puck said with a nod.

Then he paused. "Hey wait a second." He blinked at her. "How the heck did you manage to figure out all of that and fill in that many blanks?"

Sabrina took a deep breath, then leaned against him. "My dreams," she said simply. "When I used the transportation orb to send Red and Daphne home, I got knocked down. When I looked up, I saw Red, and well... She looked the same way she always looks in my dreams. Apologetic. And then there was one guy with a goatee who had magic, and the inside of Bluebeard's castle was the same place my dreams all happened in."

She hesitated for several moments, then bit her lip. "I was desperate, Puck. He was hurting me and I didn't want him to touch me. I was so scared, I thought, I'd do anything to stop it. If I'd had magic? I would have killed him. And I'd keep wanting 'one more taste' over and over, until nothing was left of me. That's how I feel any time I hold magic. Like I lose a small piece of myself as long as I have it, and I always feel like I can control it, like one more wouldn't hurt..." She looked down, ashamed.

Puck could see the shame and distress on her face easily, and his heart went out to her. "Sabrina," he murmured.

He cupped her chin, and lifted her head so that she was looking up at him. "It's not your fault. This addiction isn't your fault... and neither is what happened to you." There was pain visible in his eyes. "I'm the one who let you down. If I hadn't been so stubborn..."

Suddenly he was holding her tightly, pressing his face into her hair. "I'm sorry."

Sabrina closed her eyes, leaning against him and breathing in the scent off the blankets and his shirt. It made her feel safe. His words, his embrace, all of it. It just made her feel like nothing could hurt her. "Puck, how did you find out? The... The future you, he came into the past somehow? What happened while I was looking for Red?"

Puck took a deep breath. "We all met at Charming's," he said. "Everyone was talking... your mom started talking about your family moving out of Ferryport Landing for awhile, and I... was thinking about taking off for awhile."

Now it was his turn to look ashamed. While he'd been thinking of that, Sabrina had been going through hell. He'd been such a bastard. "For the record I'm not going anywhere."

"I didn't know mom was talking about leaving," Sabrina murmured. "And you were going to leave too? Look, Puck, I... I'm sorry about everything," she said hurriedly. "I'm sorry about the doubt, and the accusations, and all of the things I said, and-"

Puck grasped her right arm suddenly, pulling her closer to him and covering her mouth with his to cut off the rambling. It turned her upper body to face his, pressing the two of them closer together. Sabrina gasped, eyes going wide at the abrupt interruption. But then she relaxed, closing her eyes and kissing him back. She'd missed his kisses so much, it was overwhelming, and she forgot everything she'd been trying to say.

Puck kissed her thoroughly, holding her against him until they were both feeling the pressing need to breathe. He broke the kiss, but he didn't loosen his grip on her. His eyes were glinting silver as he gazed down at her, and a slow smile appeared on his face. He could tell just by looking at her that she'd forgotten her rambles.

Sabrina's cheeks flushed, lips still parted from the kiss. She couldn't quite close them, her breathing heavy. "Puck..."

"Did I take your breath away?" he asked, voice husky and teasing.

"Shut up," she whispered, embarrassed.

"Shutting up is fun," Puck joked, brushing his lips lightly against hers again, just a faint touch.

Sabrina tilted her head and brushed her lips over his in response, only to pull back and look at him seriously. "What happened then?"

Puck's expression turned serious again, and he nodded slightly. "So we were talking about all of that... and then we heard this giggle. That's what it was - not a laugh, a giggle." A shiver went through him at the memory.

"Will's immediate reaction was that it was the Heartless - and he was right. But he assumed that it meant the Heartless had already come into power." He tucked her against him. "She hadn't, though...because my future self was with this Heartless. They'd traveled through time."

Sabrina didn't interrupt, finding Puck's left hand and bringing it to her cheek, nuzzling it a little. She held it with her right, brushing her fingers over his bracelet.

"She was... god, I almost couldn't believe it when I looked at her. I definitely didn't recognize her at first," Puck continued. "For a few moments we all just stared at her, and they stared at us...and then Will decided that that was a good time to put up a barrier around the room and trap us inside with the Heartless."

"He wanted her dead at all costs, even if he died in the process," Sabrina murmured. Then her stomach twisted a little. It didn't matter to him if the Heartless couldn't help it--he'd told her before, he didn't -want- to take an innocent life... But he would. And that meant hers.

"And he did," Puck said softly. As much as he didn't like Will - and still didn't - he knew that Sabrina had spent time with him beforehand. So he tried to soften the words as best as he knew how. "It was... the other Puck who did it. Will tried to attack the Heartless, and he was killed for it."

"Will's dead?" Sabrina looked up, her eyes widening a bit. "What happened to... The Heartless? I mean, Will said she had more power than anyone. How could anyone stop her if they came to this time?"

"No one from this time did stop her," Puck replied. "It was him. My future self. In the end,_ he _was the one who delivered the strike that killed the Heartless."

Sabrina bit her lip, chewing it thoughtfully. "Why?" she finally asked. "I don't get it. Was he stronger?"

He shook his head. "It wasn't that he was stronger than she was. It was that she absolutely refused to kill him - and she knew that he was going to kill her. She knew for a long time. She just never knew when he was going to do it."

Sabrina looked to their hands for a moment, before raising her gaze to meet his. "She loved him, didn't she? Even though she was insane. She... Well, I... I still loved you."

Puck nodded, running his thumb over her knuckles gently. "When he tried to kill her the first time, she just...she was going to let him do it. Because she loved him, and wouldn't hurt him."

Sabrina didn't say anything, leaning against him again.

Puck pressed another kiss to the top of her head. "We were all surprised," he said. "And I couldn't believe it. I couldn't understand why - until he explained it to us." He looked at her. "The reason he killed her was because he intended to make sure that history didn't repeat itself. He didn't do it until he found out that they had traveled in time to a point before you became the Heartless."

"But Will also came back in time to stop the Heartless," Sabrina murmured softly. "How come he wasn't able to do anything...?"

"Well, not only did Will have no idea who the Heartless was or what would trigger her transformation," Puck said, "but Will was already _part_ of the timeline." He paused for a moment, frowning. "This is the part that really confused me, but Will was already a factor in the timeline that led to you becoming the Heartless. My future self remembered him being there."

"So it IS like Terminator," Sabrina whispered. "Red wouldn't have run away if he hadn't shown up, and I wouldn't have been caught by Bluebeard... I guess it makes sense."

She bit her lip. Still, she had gotten along with Will...

Puck hesitated. Just because he hadn't liked the guy... "I'm sorry about Will," he said. "I know you were...getting along with him."

"It's okay," Sabrina murmured. "He didn't belong in this time anyway."

"He'll probably be back," Puck said. "I mean, some time, in the future. Only this time it'll be a much happier time for him."

"I won't get to see him," Sabrina joked. "But you can say hi for me."

Her expression became troubled.

"What is it?" Puck asked, tilting his head slightly to one side.

"Nothing," Sabrina lied, shaking her head and cuddling closer. The blanket slipped open a bit, but she didn't notice, even though her arms got cold. "So then what? After he killed... well, her."

"Well, after he killed her, he explained why, and he told us everything that had happened after you became the Heartless," Puck said. "We had a lot of time, unfortunately. Which sucked, because that was when Kerdy told us that you and Daphne took the transportation orb to go find Red... and Will's barrier was still up." He scowled fiercely. If that barrier hadn't been in place, he could have gotten to Sabrina a lot sooner.

Sabrina shivered again. She didn't know why she felt so cold. "And then?"

He caught the edge of the blanket and pulled it up, back into place. "The other Puck showed me something that he'd kept with him for years. They were the final pages of your journal - the Heartless had him burn it, but he saved the last few passages." Now there was pain in his eyes again, as he recalled those passages - and how horrible he'd felt after he'd realized how he'd been treating her.

"...Which passages?" Sabrina whispered. "Was it something that _I _would have already written?"

Puck nodded. "Yeah," he said. "The last few...the final one was one you must have written after our last argument."

Sabrina snuggled back into place, feeling warm again. "I wrote an entry at Uncle Jake's house," she admitted. "I was going to apologize to you after the meeting..."

"You don't owe me an apology," Puck replied, shaking his head. "I'm the one who needs to say that I'm sorry. I should have given you a chance to explain...and I didn't."

"..." She looked up at him. "So you're really not mad at me anymore? Promise?" she asked softly. "That's over with? No more fighting?"

"No more fighting," Puck promised. "Oh, we'll probably still disagree about things, but I don't want to go through any of this again." His eyes were gentle, and earnest. "I don't want to lose you."

Sabrina felt her cheeks heat up again. "And you don't... Take back the promise? At all?" she murmured.

"Not at all," Puck said. His arms tightened around her again, holding her against his chest. "Nothing will ever make me take that back."

"Good," Sabrina whispered, tucking herself into his embrace, the same way she had hundreds of times before. "I don't ever want to go through that again."

Me neither," he said fiercely. "You're _mine_, Sabrina, and I'm not letting you go."

For several moments, Sabrina just snuggled in his arms, feeling safe and warm. After a while, she pulled back to look at him again. "Do you really think you can leave the barrier now?"

"I don't know," Puck said honestly. "But I'm willing to fly into it and risk knocking myself out to find out." He flashed her a grin. She grinned back.

"Let's go," she said, sounding a little excited. "Right now."

Puck's grin grew wider. "Right now?" he asked, pausing to brush his lips against hers.

"Mm," she murmured, pleased with the kiss. She pulled back and kept the blanket around herself. "Right now."

"Oh, all right," Puck relented with a laugh, moving to stand up, and help her to her feet as well. "Let's find an area where the barrier crosses where I _won't_ fall in water, though."

Sabrina laughed, bringing him into another kiss once they were standing. She felt so happy, she wished she could fly to express it. As it was, she'd have to settle for having Puck carry her while he flew.

Puck clasped his arms around her waist. "I think," he said with a thoughtful look after their kiss ended, "that I should make a door that leads directly outside from here. That way I can just start flying and not have to stop to go through the house." His eyes gleaned. "Think the old lady would let me?"

"Would that stop you if she didn't?" Sabrina asked, nuzzling against him. "Honestly?"

"Hmmmm...probably not," Puck admitted. "But it's supposed to be polite to ask first, right?"

"I guess so," Sabrina grinned at him. "Let's just run before someone stops us."

"Sounds good." He pulled her over to the edge of the balcony and scooped her up into his arms, then launched himself into the air with a laugh. And this time he didn't drop her on the trampoline.

Sneaking out proved to be much simpler than either expected it to be. Then again, while almost everyone in the house wanted to see Sabrina, they were also awaiting word from William and Henry, and they all knew Sabrina needed time alone with Puck.

When they reached the barrier near the river, but not over it, Sabrina got down and hugged the blanket around herself. "It's around here somewhere," she murmured. "So, I guess I'll just walk until we're sure I'm out, and then you walk to me?"

Puck nodded. "And if we're lucky," he said, shoving his hands into his pockets, "I'll get to you. If not...I'll have a really really bad headache."

She went up on her tiptoes to kiss him, pulling back quickly and feeling like a huge dork at the fact that her eyes were still a little teary. "See ya there, then."

He grinned, feeling extreme satisfaction that he could get a reaction like that from her. "Don't make me wait too long," he said with a wink.

She stuck her tongue out and headed off, going to a tree that she knew had to be outside the barrier. Turning back to him, she hugged the blanket tightly around herself to wait, nodding to him.

Puck looked at her, and took a deep breath. Then, with a fully confident look on his face (because he wouldn't allow himself to look uncertain) he strode towards her purposefully.

The nervousness melted into a wide grin for Sabrina, the closer he got. Once he was within touching distance, she threw her arms around him, enveloping them both in the blanket.

Puck hugged her back, just as tightly, his eyes slightly wide. "Holy crap, he really did it," he said in amazement.

"I had no idea what to expect," Sabrina breathed in wonder. "But you can really leave the barrier!"

Puck grinned. "Yeah," he said, "it looks like I really can. Which means I think I owe you a trip to New York."

Sabrina tightened her grip on him. It meant so many things, she found herself completely overwhelmed again. She didn't have to stay in Ferryport Landing for the rest of her life. She and Puck really could go anywhere...

"It opens up a lot of possibilities, doesn't it?" Puck asked softly, cupping the back of her head.

"Yeah," Sabrina whispered. "We can go anywhere in the world, Puck. Anywhere. I don't have to choose between freedom and loving you anymore." Her voice was incredibly soft. Even though they'd discussed it a few times, she'd never actually told him how trapped she felt in Ferryport Landing, even though she was the one of the two of them who could leave whenever she wanted.

Puck lowered his head and kissed her softly, threading his fingers into her hair. "It's really been hard on you, hasn't it?" he murmured when the kiss had ended. "I'll follow you anywhere, Sabrina - if you aren't happy here, then we don't have to be here." He closed his eyes, tucking her under his chin. "You don't have to choose anymore."

Sabrina's cheeks flushed, her breath just a little bit taken away by his kiss. She brought her hand up to touch the collar of his shirt. "You know I would have chosen you, right?" she murmured.

"I know," Puck murmured. "But there would have still been a part of you that wasn't completely happy. And I want you _happy_."

"I should get kidnapped by a crazy rapist with an alternate horrible fate awaiting me more often," she mumbled, ducking her head. "You get a lot nicer."

"Can we settle for me being nicer _without_ all of that happening?" Puck murmured. "Because I don't know if I can take that all over again."

"That's up to you, isn't it?" she sighed. "Cause truthfully, I don't want to do any of that again either."

"One nicer - generally - Puck coming right up," he said with a smile. He kissed the top of her head. "I really do love you, Sabrina."

"I love you too," Sabrina sighed softly, closing her eyes. "Sorry I keep getting really comfortable and sleepy. In my defense, I had a pretty crappy morning and got my butt kicked around."

"No problem," Puck said. "Ready to head back? You can take a nap in the tree house, how does that sound?"

"Almost perfect," she said, tightening her arms around him and fully expecting to be carried back while he flew.

Puck picked Sabrina up, holding her against his chest and letting her cling to him without objection. Almost perfect, eh? "And of course," he added, "I'll stay with you while you rest." His wings took them straight up, and he felt amazingly light as he flew them back towards the house. He looked down at her as they flew. This was better than he could have imagined.

She smiled in his arms. "Okay, now that's perfect," she said, yawning.

Puck looked extremely satisfied with himself at her words, flying straight to the house - and to his room, to the tree house. Everyone else could just wait to have their turn with Sabrina. Right then, she was his.

***.*.*.*.***

William tucked Cassia securely into his arms, frowning in disapproval at the fact that she had one of Cory's chew toys in her mouth. It had been hours since they'd gotten to the castle to witness future Puck's quick massacre of everyone inside, and the cleanup had taken forever. He'd made Henry help him while the deaths were accounted for and reported, but they'd sent another crew to handle the actual cleaning. Then William had sent Henry along while he'd made his official statements and searched the castle for any hints on the Scarlet Hand. He hadn't found much at all.

Now he was picking Snow and Cassia up from the Grimm home, after hearing from Veronica what had happened with Future Puck and Sabrina. He tried to look uninterested in Sabrina's condition, but it was hard with Daphne staring up at him from the table with Cory. The little boy was trying to imitate Daphne's wide-eyed 'don't be a jackass, LOVE ME!' expression.

Cassia cooed, munching the toy that she was holding on to. Cory always shared his toys with her when she came over to his house. She looked innocently up at her father. Daphne looked at William, silently imploring him to say something about Sabrina. She wasn't fooled one bit about his disinterest. Despite what a lot of people said, she was thoroughly convinced that William did care, and she constantly told Cory this.

Snow fought to hide her smile, seeing the twin stares of Daphne and Cory Grimm. Really, how could anyone resist that?

William twitched, glancing at the youngest Grimms. Then he sighed and put one hand on Cassia's head. "I'm glad Sabrina's okay," he said finally. "Make sure she gets plenty of rest. And food."

Veronica tried not to laugh in his face, turning her head away and grinning. Likewise, Jake snickered into Briar's shoulder, kissing her neck.

Daphne beamed happily. "We will, Mayor Charming!" she said, her eyes bright. "Won't we, Cory?" She looked down at her little brother, cuddling him.

Briar blushed as she smiled, her arms snug around Jake's waist. She'd hardly let go of him since they'd reached the house.

Snow came up next to William and touched his arm, and Cassia cooed and tilted her head, trying to nuzzle William's hand. "We'll call and see how she's doing later," she said.

"Thank you," Henry said, somehow managing to keep a straight face.

William scowled at just about all of them, and then straightened. "Let's go, Snow," he said, turning and hurrying from the room.

"Bwah bwah," Cory said, waving towards Cassia.

Cassia giggled, managing to get a wave back to Cory before her father hurried her completely from the room.

"You really like Cassia, don't you, Cory?" Daphne asked, kissing the top of her brother's head.

Cory beamed up at Daphne, wrapping his hands around one of her braids. "Yike Cashy," he agreed. He smiled up over Daphne's shoulder at Kerdy--the boy hadn't left Daphne's side since he'd delivered the news about the Heartless.

"She likes you, too," Daphne said with certainty.

Henry looked at his children affectionately, and wrapped his arm around Veronica's shoulders. "We've got some amazing children, don't we?" he murmured to his wife.

She nodded, then tugged him aside while everyone else was occupied. "I was thinking," she said softly. "About that trip to New York we'd planned. This morning seems like it happened years ago," she joked. "Hard to believe it was really this morning that we planned to go."

Henry nodded in agreement. "That almost seems like another lifetime," he said. He took her hand, and squeezed it. "What were you thinking about it? Should we still go - not permanently, but a vacation?"

"No," Veronica shook her head. "I don't think _we _should go anywhere."

Henry paused, tilting his head to one side. He recalled Future Puck's words before he'd disappeared. "Sabrina and Puck?"

"Yes," Veronica nodded to him, touching his arm. "Sabrina's fifteen now, going on thirty. It might be better to give them some time alone, considering what she just went through, and what could have happened. I trust Puck to take care of her if we let them use the condo for a week or so."

"Take care of her, maybe... but." Henry scowled. "Puck and Sabrina, alone in a condo for a week with none of us around? I don't like it."

Veronica grinned wryly. "She's not going to stay little forever. I know fifteen is young, but it's not that young, and she's a lot more mature then her age. We've been over that, Henry. And it won't be summer for about two months, by then she'll be almost halfway to sixteen."

Henry grimaced. "But what if the two of them... I know she's more mature, but we don't let them be in her room alone without the door open. I don't know if I'm ready for my little girl to be having sex already." And he knew there was a very good chance of it if Puck and Sabrina were left alone, especially after everything that had just happened.

"Henry," Veronica pulled him a bit more aside. "I think it would be better if they had our permission and were ready for it rather than try and do it in defiance. You're a rebel. You know how you are with authority. The more we tell her not to, the more she does it. Remember our old friend Michael, back in New York? His daughter was the exact same way. If they were in a store together and he told her not to touch anything, she'd try to eat the closest merchandise just because. Sabrina's the same way, and you can't deny that. All daughters think they know better than their fathers," she joked.

Then her expression became serious, and she kissed his nose. "And Henry, I don't think it's going to be a problem if they want to have sex, honestly. After what we just saw, are we going to be worried he'll leave or hurt her? He stayed with her when she was a psychotic murdering magic-addicted freak. Clearly, he's her 'forever guy', just like you're mine."

At her words, Henry's expression softened. He slid his arms around her waist, bringing her closer and kissing her gently. "That's true," he said softly. "He stayed with her when a lot of other guys would have just turned and run."

"I think it's safe to say they really love each other, and nothing's going to keep them apart," Veronica murmured. "I trust her with Puck, completely. And given what just happened to her, she's probably still a little scared, and might try to jump the gun. It would be better to give them a more controlled setting and prepare, don't you think?"

Henry sighed, and then nodded. "Yeah," he admitted. "I'd rather they do it safe, and do it right, if they're going to do it."

"I'll talk to Sabrina about it, then," Veronica murmured. "In the meantime, you can focus all of your fatherly authority on Kerdy and Daphne." She grinned up at him.

Henry twitched. "Oh, yes," he said. "Daphne is _definitely_ too young!" He had no qualms about being the overprotective father towards his youngest daughter. None at all.

Kerdy heard that last part, and immediately removed his hands from Daphne's shoulders, laughing nervously and reaching out to pet Cory's hair as an explanation as to why he'd twitched.

Cory looked up curiously, then grabbed Kerdy's hand and tried to put it in his mouth. It didn't quite work.

Daphne giggled. "Does Kerdy's hand taste good, Cory?" she teased. She kissed the top of the little boy's hair, breathing his little baby scent.

"Goo," Cory echoed, giggling in response.

Veronica shook her head affectionately, then leaned her head on Henry's shoulder, relaxing. With that crisis out of the way, all they had to do was find the Master of the Scarlet Hand, and life could hopefully be peaceful.

***.*.*.*.***

After Sabrina awoke a few hours later and took some time to show Celeste affection, she was whisked away to hug each of her family members and promise each one she was okay. While Cory slept in her arms, she was pulled aside by Veronica to talk.

She sat on the couch across from her mother, rocking Cory every few moments. He really was a chubby little angel in his sleep. "What's up, mom?" She'd had to walk away from Puck in the kitchen, and although she knew it was only for like five minutes or so while she talked with her mother, she was still a little anxious not being around him.

"Your father and I had a talk," Veronica said, the words making Sabrina cringe. "And before you get nervous, I'll let you know now it wasn't anything bad. We discussed the summer plans."

"Puck mentioned something about that at the meeting," Sabrina said in worry. "That you guys said you wanted to move back?"

"Well, yes and no. At the time, yes—but the rules and the game have all changed now," Veronica pointed out. "Puck can leave the barrier, and I'm not worried about you getting your heart broken anymore. But, your father and I have agreed that you're both mature and old enough to continue on a summer vacation… Without us."

Sabrina blinked. Even Cory snored suddenly in his sleep, before settling again.

"What do you mean?" Sabrina asked.

"I mean you and Puck can go on a two-week trip to our condo in New York without any supervision," Veronica said firmly. "I do have some conditions, and a deal for you, though."

Sabrina nodded immediately, heart racing and cheeks flushing. Two weeks alone with Puck? After what had happened, it sounded perfect. "What conditions?"

"If you two have sex," Veronica said bluntly. "I want you to promise to use protection. And be safe about it. I won't tell you that you can't, I just want to make sure you'll do it right."

Blushing, Sabrina shifted Cory in her arms. "I uh… I don't want to go buy any, though. And I don't think Puck wants to either."

"I bought some," Veronica said. "And get that look off your face, it's not gross."

"It is a little," Sabrina said, sticking her tongue out.

"Either way, you can either go with the ones I bought, or you can go buy your own, but either way you WILL be safe about it," Veronica threatened.

"Yes ma'am. I'll take the free ones, at least then I'm only going to be embarrassed in front of you."

Veronica nodded. "Alright. I'll give you my credit card for the trip in case of emergencies, for taxies, and for the tickets, but for everything else, I want you and Puck to use your own money. Understood?"

Sabrina nodded again. "And no curfews? No parents at all?"

"No curfews, no parents. But please be responsible. I don't want to regret this decision," Veronica warned.

"I won't be irresponsible," Sabrina promised. "What's the deal you mentioned?"

"Another thing your father and I talked about a little while ago. Your sixteenth birthday. You'd mentioned you wanted a car, but that's pretty expensive," Veronica pointed out. "Also, you only have a learner's permit."

Sabrina kept her mouth shut, waiting to hear the rest.

"However," Veronica continued. "If you can go until your sixteenth birthday without once getting killed, or without anyone making a serious attempt on your life, Henry and I will buy you the car of your choice for your birthday, provided you pass your driver's test."

Sabrina felt her mouth dropping open. On one hand, she was a little insulted that Veronica thought she'd get herself killed, but on the other hand, she was in danger often. Still, the chance at getting any car she wanted, for free on her birthday?

"Deal!" she said instantly.

"Okay," Veronica reached for Cory. "Remember to keep your grades up, and you and Puck can have a trip at the beginning of summer. And try not to mention it around your dad as much right now, he's still… wary of the idea, in some ways."

Sabrina blushed and nodded, handing her brother over, before kissing her mother's cheek. "Thanks mom," she whispered. "Thank you for trusting me to make the right decisions."

"I always do," Veronica murmured. "Even if it doesn't seem like it."

Smiling, Sabrina stood back up and hurried from the room, ecstatic and excited. "Puck!" She dashed into the kitchen where she'd left him, seeing that he was eating muffins with Kerdy and Daphne. Briar had made them before she and Jake had left. "PUCK!"

With no explanation, sans Cory, she jumped on Puck in a tight, enthusiastic hug.

"ACK!" Puck exclaimed, suddenly finding himself with a Sabrina wrapped around him. He laughed. "Hey," he said with a grin after he got over his surprise, and hugged her back. "What's up?"

Daphne dropped her muffin in surprise, looking at her sister with a startled expression. Kerdy caught Daphne's muffin with ease, blinking.

"We're going to New York in like two months, when school lets out!" she cried. "I just talked to mom, we're going to New York!"

Puck stared at Sabrina. "New York?" he repeated. "In a matter of months?"

Suddenly he remembered the meeting, and he looked confused. "For good?" After all, Veronica had talked about moving there.

Sabrina grinned at him, getting down and laughing. "No, not for good. Dad's being cool about this, but not THAT cool. Puck--you and me, we're going alone, and we get to use the condo!"

Kerdy's jaw dropped. Daphne squeaked.

Puck's eyes widened. "You...me...New York...alone?" he stammered. "And your parents are okay with this?"

"Yes!" Sabrina said brightly. "And mom's letting me use her credit card! Granted, it's only for emergencies, and we have to use our allowance to pay for most stuff, but still! We get to go alone for a two-week vacation!"

There was a definite shine in Puck's eyes now. "Two weeks, you and me, in the condo in New York?" he asked. Two weeks without worrying that Henry was going to kill him, two weeks of just himself and Sabrina...

Yeah. He was liking this.

"Wow," Daphne breathed. "That's so nifty, Sabrina."

"I know," Sabrina grinned, bouncing. "We're being treated like adults!" She grabbed Puck and kissed him, making Kerdy blush.

Daphne watched them, her own blush appearing as Puck kissed Sabrina back without any arguments. She glanced at Kerdy, her expression rather shy. She'd never admitted it out loud, but she wanted what Puck and Sabrina had someday. Kerdy made a very conscious effort not to blush or look too intently at Daphne, clearing his throat after a moment. Sabrina completely ignored him.

When she finally did break the kiss, her eyes were shining. "Mom gave me a couple conditions and rules, but other than that, we get to be on our own. And she made me the coolest deal ever, and even gave us permission for something I never thought she'd do, I'll tell you about it later!"

"You can't tell me right now?" Puck teased. "Not even a little? You're really going to make me wait until later?"

"Nope," Sabrina grinned at him. "I'll tell you when we're on the train to New York."

Now Puck gave her teary-eyes. "I have to wait until we go to _New York?_" he asked. "But that's not fair!"

Daphne giggled now. Puck sounded like a little kid.

"The wait'll be worth the news," Sabrina promised, a mischievous twinkle in her blue eyes.

Puck shoved his hand through his hair. "It better be, that's all I have to say," he said. "Since you're making me _wait._"

"Oh, get over it," she laughed, bringing him down for another quick kiss. "I'm going to start packing _right now."_

"Right now?" Now he looked even more confused. "I thought you said we weren't going for a while. Why are you packing right now?"

"Because I'm excited, don't kill my buzz," Sabrina said, snorting lightly.

Daphne gave Puck a look, indicating silently that he better not kill her buzz, as Sabrina had put it. Puck mentally admitted defeat. "Want some help?" he volunteered.

Sabrina suddenly stopped, staring up at him with bright red cheeks. "Um."

"Mmph," Kerdy slapped a hand over his mouth, suddenly understanding the 'secret'.

"No," Sabrina said hastily, shaking her head. "I can do it myself. Then we can hang out some more."

Daphne looked at Kerdy in confusion, question marks in her eyes.

Puck blinked. Then he shrugged. "Okay," he said. "I'll probably be helping myself to some more of the muffins."

"Kay," Sabrina hurried off, fighting back her blush. It was amazing how she could spend the morning thinking she was going to be hurt terribly and maybe killed, spend a week thinking Puck hated her, and have it all go back to normal in a matter of hours. Sometimes, her life really did seem like a fairytale.

She hurried for her room, reaching out to turn on the light once she had the door open. Her hand was inches from the switch when it flew up, illuminating the area.

Confused, she looked to her hand, then shrugged and figured she'd miscalculated the distance. She had packing to do, and condoms to hide.

***.*.*.*.***

It wasn't easy to keep her news a secret. She was always antsy in class, or daydreaming when she should have been doing homework. Considering one of the conditions that Veronica constantly reminded them of was the need to pass their classes in order to go though, neither teen fell behind in school. It went by in a blur, two months of perfect happiness and calmness, and soon enough, as planned, Sabrina was boarding the train with Puck. They were trying to be inconspicuous, not wanting to draw attention to the fact that Puck could leave the barrier. It wasn't like they had a good explanation for it.

Thankfully, it was a slow day, and not many people were coming to or leaving Ferryport Landing.

Sabrina took her seat in a comfy first-class area, setting her purse and small carry-on bag next to her. She motioned for Puck to take the nicely padded seat across from her, and the moment he did, she moved her foot to lightly touch his, grinning like an idiot.

The last few weeks had been like heaven. Granted, the whole two months had been, but the last few weeks had been especially sweet when it came to anticipation and having fun. No nightmares, no danger, no evil plots, no fights. Except the occasional 'you took my donut' war. It was like the whole ordeal with Will and the Heartless had never happened--all they'd taken with them had been the closeness, trust, and absolute certainty in each other. In the beginning, she'd still had a few nightmares about what Bluebeard had almost done. Now her dreams were peaceful.

Puck grinned, nudging her foot with his own. "First class, huh? Pretty awesome." He took on a certain familiar pompous attitude. "Not, of course, that I deserve anything less."

Laughing, Sabrina rolled her eyes and nudged her foot a bit closer so their ankles touched. "So, do you want to hear about what mom told me, now?"

She'd been impressed with her mother's ability to keep Henry from saying anything _about _any of it. He'd simply end up walking by them, glaring at Puck, and walking off. Each time, Sabrina had blushed and refused to explain.

"Yes," Puck said instantly. "It's been killing me for the last few weeks. What's the secret?"

Sabrina leaned in close, grinning. "Okay, the first thing is a deal she made me. Mom said if I can make it to my sixteenth Birthday in January without anyone trying to kill me, and without getting killed, she and dad will buy me a brand new car for my birthday. _Any kind I want."_

Slowly Puck grinned. "Do I get to drive it?" he asked with definite interest and intrigue. He rubbed his ankle against hers.

"..Maybe," Sabrina grinned back. "We'll see. If you get a license. And the second thing..."

She glanced around, but they were alone. "Puck, mom... Well, she gave us permission to..." She blushed again. "As long as we're safe and responsible, and we um... Ya know, use protection... We won't get in trouble if... Ya know..." she fidgeted.

Confusion flickered over his face. At first, her blush indicated that maybe... but... "'Use protection'?" he repeated. "Um...are we supposed to...fight or something?"

It was obvious that if Henry had covered that in his little talk, Puck had completely blanked on the meaning of the term.

Sabrina scowled, blushing deeper. "Puck, you are so immature. I'm talking about sex. And protection means a condom. I _know _you had to put one on a banana in health class a few months ago. They made me do it too."

"....."

Suddenly Puck's eyes widened. "Was _that_ why I had to put that thing on that banana?" he asked, a mental light bulb suddenly going off.

Sabrina groaned, burying her face in her hands and sighing. "Puck..."

Then she looked up at him. "Yes, that's why. It's called safe sex. I'm talking about maybe thinking we're ready to do that... Sometime on our vacation."

She bowed her head, feeling embarrassed and uncertain. An odd look crossed Puck's face, as the banana became less important and her words took the front seat in his mind. Neither teen could keep the blush off their faces.

He leaned forward, reaching out and touching her hand with his. "You think we could?"

Embarrassed, she nodded again and kept her mouth shut. With a grin from ear to ear, Puck suddenly yanked her by her hand, making her yelp and stumble into the aisle. Their chairs had been like couches across from each other, the windows behind them, so she wasn't hurt when he pulled her right into his lap and halfway into the seat beside him.

"Okay Grimm," he said, wrapping his arms around her. "If you're sure."

"Of course I'm not sure," she laughed nervously, leaning into his embrace. "But when Bluebeard was about to… hurt me, all I could think about was that I wish you and I could have. Ya know, for my first time and all. It's supposed to hurt even if you're not trying to make it hurt."

He frowned at that, then tightened his arms around her. "I don't want to hurt you."

"I'll be fine," Sabrina said, closing her eyes. "And I'm not sure if we'll be able to go through with it, but… I think I'm ready, and I want to try."

He pressed a kiss to her hair, then let his wings pop out so he could wrap those around her. "No pressure, then. We'll figure it out, Sabrina."

Sabrina smiled at his words, relaxing and figuring she could steal a nap on the way to the condo. Life was on track to being perfect. She had two weeks alone with Puck to create happy memories and try to take their relationship to the next level, Puck could go anywhere in the world with her, they were back to being 'madly in love', and she was getting a brand new car for her sixteenth birthday.

Well, assuming she kept up her end of the deal. Staying out of danger and not dying for another seven or so months.

How hard could it be?

***.*.*.*.***

**A/N:**

**Sky: **Okay so, lots of fun fluff! But sadly no, it won't continue to stay fluff, although the Puck and Sabrina relationship stuff will stay happy.

Or will it? XD You'll have to wait and see!

**Fun fact #534: Michael is my dad's name, and the little bratty girl Veronica mentioned who acted out in defiance is me. ^^ Though I've never been to New York.**

**Fun fact #987: Moth, Titania, and Mustardseed will all be making appearances soon, but perhaps not in the way you think ^^**

**Fun fact #8753: When I told Ayns that Sabrina would be losing her virginity in New York, she went "YAY! …To Puck, right?" Yeah, I'm that bad with the angst. XD**

**Thanks so much to the (HOLY CRAP 57 REVIEWS SINCE LAST CHAPTER?) reviewers since chapter 28 went up (**And also, I stopped putting in the x2/x3 etc for when people reviewed more than once. Too many! But still mad love**): Laterose, A CertainPeantButterSandwich, SweeneyToddLover26, Dramaqueenruling, Knoxalot, Viva-Musica, SeekDreamsAndFindHope, Sabrina Grimm, randomly horny**(rofl I've gone there. No worries XD), **Lara D, ILoveGeorgeCooper, iD Sisters Grimm iD, obsessedwithbooks, DragonFly7312, Lyla Domae, thanx, iCheer36, DeDe, Lumiere Nordiques, Elena Forest, Blue-Eyed-Lily, RockSuperstar, curlscat, fangfan5, TricksterQueen464, Ascaisil, Amy, Lilyflower-314, ThrushflightEdward'sStalker, RainbowofSmiles16, Squiggles, Harmony352, grimmgirl, missdean, wormybook, emerald and onyx, mysterious13**(aw, thank you ^^), **msjezzi-bella, Taylor Wimbley, Tanglenight**(WELCOME BAAACK), **sistersgrimmfan25**(eep…), and **she wants to move.**

**WOW guys! **I'm incredibly touched that you all took the time to review, and some more than once. Although there's no need to review the same chapter multiple times, reviewing each chapter is the best thing ever. Thanks again, and see ya next chapter!

**Luvvies! **

**P.S. **

**Sky: Please note that if you point out a typo for us, I'll gladly go fix it ^^ Either in PM or review. I'm not perfect, so I won't catch them all before we post most of the time, but I'll always go back and correct it on the site. **

**Although, if the typo that gets pointed out isn't actually a typo, I'll let you know, and won't fix it XD For instance, to clear it up, when Puck walked through the barrier and said "he did it", he meant his future self, and not just himself. So he could have used 'he' or 'I'. I know, it threw me too, but I know that was Ayns' intent. The wording, not the throwing us off thing. ^^ Thanks!**


	30. Love

**EDIT: Sky: Re-Added scene skips.**

**A/N:**

Sky: Extra note: I do not even want to talk about what I had to go through or how long it took to get this edited correctly in the document manager. I swear to god, I'm getting sick of this site.

Back to the regular A/N:

**Sky: Big A/N today. We had a few reviewers show concern or disbelief over the 'sex issue' from last chapter, and how everything was handled by the family. I wrote a very long reply, and I think I may as well post it here in case anyone else is wondering how the hell we wrote that stuff.**

**If you don't care about how last chapter went, the family's actions, and Veronica letting her daughter go off for two weeks alone with a boy, you can skip this whole thing and read at the next bold :P**

-*Why didn't Sabrina's family spend more time with her after she was rescued?

Well, for starters, first and foremost, she needed to clear up everything with Puck. Everyone at the meeting understood that, since their fighting was one of the huge causes of the Heartless thing. Puck and Sabrina went to talk first, then snuck out to the barrier, and then slept. Once she woke up, we briefly wrote in that she went to go hug and spend time with her family, but we didn't write it all out. They understand that she's safe now, and independent enough that she wouldn't need them to coddle her.

Therefore I think it's within reason that they would give her time first, instead of overcrowding her. They're also used to danger and situations like that, so it wasn't like it was the first time Sabrina was in danger and was saved.

-*Why did Veronica give Sabrina permission to be alone with Puck for two weeks, and have sex?

My parents trusted me enough to let me go on a trip at that age if I wanted to. Then again my parents really trusted that I'd make good decisions. A lot of my inspiration on Veronica comes from my actual mom, who didn't treat me like a child when I was 'only 15'. Considering everything Puck and Sabrina have gone through as a couple and as characters, Veronica considers them to be mature and responsible.

Not to mention, Sabrina is very mature for her age, Puck is technically 4000 years old or something, and it's been years since Veronica and Henry had been put in the coma. So they're not overbearing anymore, especially because they have Cory to consider and dote on. Combine that with knowing exactly how deep Puck and Sabrina's feelings run, and the fact that they'd never hurt each other, Veronica is willing to trust them to take some alone time (that they really wanted and needed) together.

16 used to be the suspected age to lose one's virginity (Sabrina is about halfway to 16 by the way) but nowadays a lot of girls have been doing it at 13 and even younger. (Of course, a lot of them end up on the Maury show, too)

I have Veronica act the way my mom did in this case--she'd rather Sabrina be informed and responsible rather than defiant and careless. At least that way, something she figures her daughter will eventually do with or without permission can be with permission and safe. Honestly, Henry still isn't okay with it, but he let Veronica convince him to go along.

**I hope that helps some people understand our angle. Other than that… Too bad! Nyah! XD Also, Sabrina is still 15. I had to re-check, but at this point, she'd be turning 16 in January, and they're now in the beginning of June or so. ALSO, WE WILL NOT BE WRITING AN EXPLICIT SEX SCENE. We will be writing a lead-up and a skip, but nothing overly graphic or mature. So BE mature while reading, but it's not mature-rated. Or in this chapter. XD Just a heads-up.**

**Ayns:** *cannot talk because she is buried in work*

**Sky:** Enjoy! Feel free to ask if you have questions, too, this chapter might be confusing.

***.*.*.*.***

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter Thirty: Love_**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

Puck couldn't help but watch Sabrina as she fell asleep in his lap, and he couldn't keep his expression from being soft.

Sabrina wanted to share something important - both to humans and to Everafters - with him. She wanted to give him something that she was only able to give to one person. The thought sent a certain thrill through him.

Added to that was the knowledge that he'd have two complete weeks of nothing but Sabrina-time, and he was most definitely one contented fairy. Sabrina had touched something in him that no one else had ever come close to, and he wasn't about to let her go.

He brushed his lips lightly against her forehead, watching her quietly - he was determined not to make a sound, not wanting to wake her for anything. He just wanted to sit with her, hold her, and watch her.

Sabrina slept peacefully the entire ride. Her dreams were colorful and happy, filled with the random everyday nonsense she liked. When the train finally rolled to a stop, she stirred and opened her eyes, confused. "Wetheret?" she mumbled, pressing her face against his shoulder a bit.

"Yep," Puck said with a nod. "We're pulling into Grand Central Station right now." He grinned at her. "Come on, we need to get our things and get a cab."

"Kay," Sabrina murmured, getting out of his lap and stretching. She looked completely content and happy.

He stretched out his legs, rising gracefully to his feet and drawing his wings back in so that they could go out in public.

Then he draped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her lightly. "Good nap?"

"Yeah," Sabrina murmured with a shy smile. "I had a really nice nap."

She gave him another quick kiss, then moved to grab her things, rifling through her purse for her wallet.

"You've got the address for the condo, right?" Puck asked just to make sure. "How big is this place, anyway?"

"I've got the address and I've been there," she reminded him. "It fits a family of four comfortably, but we've kept it pretty empty since we rarely go there. It should be pretty bland, with necessities only."

"So we should go out and get some things to liven it up," he said with a grin. "Since it'll be ours for two weeks."

Sabrina grinned at him. "Okay, we'll put our suitcases at the condo, then walk to some stores, okay?"

"One of them better be a grocery store," he said immediately. He paused. "You're cooking, right?"

Sabrina rolled her eyes. "We'll get some instant meals and takeout, and the basics. Don't worry about it. I won't let your skinny butt starve."

Puck grinned, and hugged her tightly. "I knew I loved you for a reason," he teased, pulling her against his chest.

She scowled, but laughed after a moment and nudged him, managing to get off of the train with their carry-on. After locating the two suitcases of things they'd packed, Sabrina hailed a taxi and got the driver to carry their things for them into the trunk.

As the trunk was loaded, Puck stopped at the curb and took a deep breath. Yep...still the same car exhaust and hot dog smell he remembered.

But at least this time they weren't being chased by a giant Wicked Witch of the West.

He already intended for this to be a dozen times better than the last time he and Sabrina had been in the city together. For starters - this was a vacation. There would be no mysteries. No Everafter interference. Just relaxation, kisses...and more than kisses.

Sabrina was pretty quiet on the ride to the condo. Then again, it probably had to do with the fact that the cab driver didn't speak much English, and she was making out with Puck.

It didn't take them long to get situated – the condo was on the ninth floor of a very nice building, with a great view of the city.

Sabrina pushed the curtains back, sighing happily at the sunshine streaming through the huge windows. "So, what did you want to do first?"

Puck walked up behind her, and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I can think of a few things," he murmured, kissing the side of her neck. He was much more interested in what was on _this _side of the window, rather than the other side.

"Puck," Sabrina blushed. "Jeez, I mention the possibility of sex and you're all over me..." She let her palms rest against the windows. "It's not like we're doing that _now,_ ya know."

"Mm," Puck murmured, still nuzzling at her neck. "But I can at least start getting you in the mood, can't I?"

Sabrina shivered, the hairs on the back of her neck tingling. "Puck..." She let her eyes flutter shut, relaxation sliding through her.

"We can wait a little while before we go out," Puck murmured, nibbling along her neck as he held her close, his hand resting lightly on her stomach.

"There's no food in the condo," she murmured, tilting her head back a little at his touch. She sounded drowsy.

"I'm not hungry yet," Puck replied, grinning against her neck at the tone of her voice. He kissed his way up her neck and her jaw, nuzzling her playfully.

Sabrina had no defense to his tender touches. She slowly turned in his arms and brought her lips to his, hands moving to his shoulders.

Puck closed his eyes as he felt Sabrina's lips meet his, and he drew her against his chest as he kissed her back tenderly. She was everything he could have ever asked for.

When she broke the kiss, Sabrina was shivering, feeling weak in the knees and very charmed. The physical attraction was definitely there. "The stores might close before we get out of here at this rate," she murmured.

Puck glanced at the clock, and unfortunately saw that she was right. "So we'll pause, shop, and then come back and pick up where we left off?"

"Why don't we have dinner first?" Sabrina suggested, snuggling close. "We'll go shopping, come back, have dinner, then make out if you haven't pissed me off?"

"Works for me," Puck said with a grin.

He nipped her ear playfully, then released her.

Sabrina's face was a dull shade of red when they managed to separate and get their shoes on. They walked towards the nearest corner store, only to pause as a happy young storeowner ushered Sabrina into a jewelry shop, having caught her looking in the window. Every diamond and gem twinkled, making her stare a bit. Tomboy or not, she was still a girl, and she still liked jewelry.

"That's a lot of sparkling stuff," Puck couldn't help commenting as he walked into the jewelry store after Sabrina. He paused and looked around. It had been a long time since he'd been in an actual jewelry store... actually, he couldn't remember ever being in one.

"Yeah," Sabrina murmured, walking over to one of the cases and staring at the rings. Her cheeks felt hot when she realized she was staring at engagement rings.

One of the workers looked at her and sniffed disdainfully. "Those are diamonds, honey. They're expensive."

Sabrina looked up at the voice –and when she blushed again, it wasn't because of excitement or giddy-romantic dreams.

Puck narrowed his eyes at the worker, and walked over to Sabrina. He put his arm around her shoulders, and examined the rings in the case.

Then he looked at the worker. "Well, obviously they're diamonds," he said dryly. "Anyone with eyes - and the ability to read - can see that." He gave her a pure disdainful look, his expression indicating that he thought the worker was utterly below him.

Then he deliberately ignored the worker, looking back at Sabrina. "Did you find something you like?" he asked.

While the woman behind the counter sputtered, Sabrina gave a lame shrug of her shoulders. "We should go," she muttered. It wasn't like either of them had enough allowance to buy diamonds...

Puck brushed his lips against her cheek. "You deserve diamonds," he murmured. "But you don't need to wear them to be beautiful."

He just couldn't help himself - he didn't like the expression on her face. It was just too bad that 'buying a diamond ring' didn't fall under the emergency restrictions on the credit cards.

Sabrina blushed again. She was starting to get dizzy from the head rush. Truthfully, she wanted to look--but what was the point? She couldn't afford anything, she was kidding herself, and the worker behind the counter knew it.

"Go ahead and look," Puck said to her. "Just because we don't have the money to get anything now doesn't mean we can't later. I want to know what you like." He was utterly determined not to let Ms. Snob ruin Sabrina's good time.

"Puck, when in the reality of _ever _would we get diamonds later?" Sabrina grumbled, pulling away and rolling her eyes.

"Hey, remember?" Puck asked, lowering his voice and raising an eyebrow. "I'm a king. Plus, I'm_ Puck._ Have you ever known me to give up when I'm determined to do something?"

"We're not stealing anything, and you're not exactly..." she trailed off. She didn't want to insult him, but what good was it to be a King of Faerie and a Trickster King when it came to the non-Everafter world?

He reached out and cupped her chin gently with his hand. "Trust me," he said seriously.

One way or another, he was going to get her a ring - and he'd do it legitimately, too.

"Excuse me," the storeowner called, looking to Puck. "May I speak with you in private?"

She was a beautiful young woman with long golden-brown hair and a pink circlet. Though she owned a jewelry store, she only wore the circlet and a dark pinkish red ring with an oval looking stone on her finger.

"I'll look some more," Sabrina sighed, heading to another counter. The woman behind the counter followed, sneering down at the teenager with a smug sense of superiority.

Puck looked at the woman in confusion. Then he shrugged. "Sure," he said. "I'll be right back, Sabrina," he added in the direction of his girlfriend, and then walked over to the storeowner.

She smiled down at Puck, looking delighted. She had a strong British accent. "I couldn't help but overhear you and your girlfriend speaking. Did you say your name was Puck?"

"That's right," he said with a nod, wondering why this woman was looking at him the way that she was. He was well aware that Puck was an unusual name, which was why he had an alias...but this woman wasn't giving him an odd look for the name, she looked like she was going to start dancing happily or something.

"Oh, brilliant!" She clapped her hands together, causing Sabrina to look back at them briefly. "I've only just moved here within the last two years, so I haven't got to meet you. Your mother's told me loads about you--why, my husband and I make special jewelry for her all the time! And she's been hosting many balls lately, so she always requests something extravagant."

Puck stared at the woman, slowly processing what she was saying. "You...know my mother?" he asked, wondering if, maybe, this woman thought he was someone else.

Then again, no, no, it was very unlikely that there was another Puck in New York City. And it would be just like his mother to request extravagant jewelry for balls, although he couldn't fathom _why _she would be hosting balls.

She nodded, then yelped as her hand seemed to jerk towards him briefly. "Oh that's funny," she murmured, looking to her ring. "It hasn't done that in a while."

"Huh?" Puck stared at her ring. "Hasn't done what lately?" What, did her ring have a mind of its own?

"Well, it's a long story," she assured him. "I'll have to ask Curdie and see if knows anything..." she murmured thoughtfully.

".....excuse me, did you say Kerdy?" Puck's eyes felt like they were going to start spinning. Who was this woman?

"Yes!" She smiled happily. "My husband, Curdie. Do you know him?"

"No... I don't think so, anyway. I know someone named Kerdy, but he's not married, he's still in high school, and he's got a crush on my girl's little sister even though he won't admit it to her," Puck replied. "Who _are _you?" As an afterthought he added, "Ma'am."

"Oh, you don't need to call me ma'am. And you must me talking about Kerdy--he's my friend Gerda's son," she held her hand out for him to shake. "My name is Irene. Just one e, I know it sounds like Irenee." Irene smiled down at him, looking a bit sheepish.

Now the little light bulb went off in Puck's head. "Oh, you're her?" he asked, accepting the hand offer and shaking it. "You're the one with the thread?"

"Yep!" Irene looked proud. "I have magic thread in my ring. Oh!" She looked to his wrist suddenly. "That must be why my ring reacted. You have some of the thread in your bracelet!"

Puck looked down at the bracelet and flushed slightly. "Yeah," he said, touching the bracelet automatically as he spoke. "Kerdy made these for me and Sabrina."

Irene smiled at him. "Well, I'm a member of the Faerie community here," she told him, giving a cute little bow. "So, if there's anything you'd like, King Puck, feel free to have it on the house."

Puck's eyes lit up suddenly. "Really?" he asked.

It wasn't difficult for him to figure out what he was going to choose. "Anything?"

"Of course," Irene gave a big smile. "I should go let my workers know. Oh, and are you going to be visiting your mother? She'll be very surprised to see you!"

Sabrina glanced back over. She hadn't heard a word, still looking into one of the cases.

"I might," Puck said, "but this vacation is mostly so I can spend time with her." He tilted his head towards Sabrina, and grinned.

Oh, yes. Being a king _did _have its benefits.

"Thanks a lot," he added to Irene. With a broad grin, he nodded to her and then turned and went back over to Sabrina.

He reached for her hand. "Did you find anything you particularly liked?"

Sabrina shrugged, not really committing to anything. "A few things. What did she want, anyway?"

"She's the owner," the worker said snidely, only to pause when Irene called her and the other workers over as well.

As the workers all headed over to Irene, Puck looked at Sabrina and grinned. "I want you," he said, "to look at everything in this store. And then I want you to pick out the one thing that you want more than anything else."

"Why?" Sabrina asked frowning at him. Then she shrugged. "Eh. Whatever, why not."

She went back to the rings, looking at all the ones with pink diamonds. "That one."

There was a golden ring with pink diamond slivers shaped like insect wings, with two emeralds in the very center, both round. It caught the light and sparkled, making it look as if the pink diamonds were shifting or moving a little. "I don't know why, it reminds me of you and I really like it. Can we go now?"

"In a minute," Puck said, his eyes gleaming with mischief as he, looked at the ring. He looked up and over in the direction of the nearest worker. "Excuse me?"

The worker just happened to be the same lady who had scoffed at Sabrina earlier, and she seemed upset. "What?" she muttered. And then as an afterthought, added "Your majesty."

Sabrina blinked and looked up in confusion. Had the lady hit her head?

Puck motioned to the ring. "We'd like this one, please," he said, flashing the worker a cocky smile.

The woman scowled, but brought the ring out for them.

"Um..." Sabrina glanced up at Puck again. "Did one of you hit your head or something? Puck, that thing is like five thousand dollars."

Puck grinned at Sabrina. "Not for a king," he said. "Irene told me that I could choose one thing in here, anything, free of charge."

"Irenee?" Sabrina echoed, confused. "Wait... This store is owned by Everafters?" she whispered in a hushed voice. "And they treat you like a real king?"

Puck nodded, grin firmly in place. It was the first time he'd experienced this sort of reaction - then again, he'd only been King for a brief period of time before he'd gone back to Ferryport Landing.

"Holy _crap,"_ Sabrina looked at him again, then to the worker. She couldn't resist giving a smug grin and holding her hand out for the ring. "For real, Puck?" She turned to him again, eyes bright.

"For real," Puck said with a firm nod. He crossed his arms over his chest and gave the worker a "So There!" look.

"Wow," Sabrina looked back down at the ring, her eyes glittering, the diamonds reflecting in them. She tried to put the ring on her pointer finger, but it wouldn't go on. It was too tight or too loose for every finger on her right hand, and her left pointer and middle fingers were too big as well.

The worker smirked at Puck again. "We don't resize rings here, either. And each ring is one of a kind."

Puck looked at Sabrina, and then the ring. "Here," he said, reaching to take it. "Let me try to put it on you."

Sabrina looked at him curiously, but didn't protest. "Okay," she handed it to him, holding up her left hand. "But I already tried, it doesn't fit."

Puck took the ring, and then Sabrina's hand. Instead of retrying all of the fingers she'd already attempted, he selected one she hadn't - the ring finger on her left hand.

Sabrina only had a split-second to realize where he was putting the ring before her cheeks flooded with color again, and she started to stammer. "P-Puck, u-um..."

The ring slipped onto the finger with ease, not too tightly and not too loose - it was, in fact, a perfect fit.

"See?" he said, looking at her. "Just right."

And he was desperately fighting back his own blush. He knew very well why she was flustered.

For a few moments, neither spoke or moved. Then Sabrina coughed and pulled her hand back, embarrassed. "Kay."

Puck's cheeks were slowly reddening as he lost the blush battle, and he cleared his throat. Shifting in place he said, "Are you ready to go now, then?"

"Sure," Sabrina squeaked, looking down at her hand. The position was perfect – the larger parts of the wings were pointed upwards towards her, the smaller parts going down. The irony struck her then, as she realized why she liked the ring so much. It looked like Puck's wings, and the emeralds matched his eyes when he was being playful.

Puck slid his arm around her waist and scanned the room to look for Irene and catch her eye. He raised his hand in farewell, grinning - all of this worked out better than he could have ever hoped.

Sabrina was oddly silent as they left the store, while Irene cheerfully waved them out. After a few moments of walking, she looked back to her hand. "Wow. She really just gave you this diamond ring."

"I told you that you deserve diamonds," Puck said. He grinned. "It was a stroke of luck though - she heard my name, and she happens to know my mother."

"I wonder how many Everafters own stores around here," she teased.

Puck raised his eyebrows. "Are you suggesting that I use my position to get us free stuff?" he asked.

She looked at him innocently. "It couldn't hurt to try."

Slowly he grinned. "I think I'm rubbing off on you," he said, stepping closer and leaning in to kiss her.

She kissed him back, wrapping her arms around him. "I can't figure out if it's a good or a bad thing."

"I vote good," he murmured. "Very, very good."

She rolled her eyes after another kiss, shoving him off. "Let's hurry and pick up some food for the apartment. It's getting late and it's dangerous at night here."

"Pfft, you've got me with you," Puck said. Then, hastily because he knew she was actually right, "but the sooner we get food and head back, the sooner we can relax for the rest of the evening."

"Speaking of your mom," Sabrina said as they walked. "Were you going to go visit her and Mustardseed?"

Puck hesitated. "I hadn't decided," he said. "Actually, I was trying not to think about it. You know what my mother's like."

"I was about to say, if you do visit her, I'll stay home," Sabrina laughed. "I don't mind Mustardseed, but your mom's a little crazy."

"Maybe I can invite Mustardseed over instead," Puck said, perking up. "Then we can avoid her completely."

"Good idea," Sabrina said. "At least he writes to us."

"Yep," Puck said with a nod. "So let's have him over for dinner at some point. But not tonight. Tonight it's just going to be us."

Rolling her eyes, Sabrina walked on ahead, looking for a good place to stop. They managed to find a nice twenty-four hour deli with a lot of groceries, quickly filling a few baskets and checking out.

The walk back was uneventful, although Sabrina constantly looked down at her hand, still a little in shock.

Puck couldn't stop grinning. "Enjoying yourself?" he teased lightly, watching her check the ring for what had to be the one hundredth time.

"Oh, shut up," Sabrina muttered, trying to hide her blush. "It's pretty, okay? I've never had any real jewelry before."

"Never?" he asked. "Not at all?" He thought about it - and then yeah, realized he'd never really seen her with jewelry.

"Nothing real," Sabrina said. "Like diamonds or real gold. I mean, I have some cheap chains and pendants at home, or rings Daphne and I bought on a whim, but this is like... This is insane."

"I'm glad," he said teasingly. "I like gifts that I give you to be insane." And if his arms weren't full of bags, he'd have pulled her into them and kissed her again.

"I keep thinking one of us should pick a fight, but I haven't had anything to argue about," she laughed, carrying her own fair share of bags. She refused to let him try and do all the work.

"It's sort of refreshing, isn't it?" Puck asked with a chuckle. "Let's save the fights for when we get back to Ferryport Landing."

"Best part about fighting is making up," she joked, looking over at him with a playful look in her eyes.

"Well, I'm certainly not going to argue with that," Puck said with a wicked look in his eyes.

Once they were inside the apartment, Sabrina tried her hand at making spaghetti. She turned the burner on, putting a pot of water on it, and pouring the sauce into a different pot.

"So you'll put the rest of the groceries away after dinner, right?" Puck asked with a grin - knowing full well that she would expect him to do it, or at the very least help. "I can just go watch TV or something?"

"I will hurt you," she warned. "You can put those away while I cook your dinner, your majesty."

Puck tilted his head up slightly. "A king shouldn't be sullying his hands with housework," he proclaimed, as he opened one of the bags and began pulling things out.

"And a queen wouldn't be cooking," Sabrina pointed out. "By association, wouldn't that be me?"

He smirked. "So you agree that you're going to be my queen?" he asked impishly.

Sabrina dropped a lid on herself, blushing. "...You know what, just go watch TV."

He started putting food away in the cupboards and fridge. "Nah, I think I've decided I like it in here," he said with a grin, knowing full well why she was blushing.

A moment later, Sabrina yelped, putting the lid on the sauce. "Okay, is it supposed to pop like that?"

"Maybe you've got it on too high," Puck suggested, suddenly next to her and looking down at the pot.

"It's on medium," she argued, frowning as the pot began to shake.

Puck's eyes widened. "Holy crap, what did you put in there?" he exclaimed. He grabbed Sabrina's arm, pulling her away from the stove.

"It's just spaghetti sauce!" Sabrina yelped. A series of little 'ting' sounds could be heard from inside the pot.

"That doesn't sound like spaghetti sauce to me!" Puck stared at the dials on the stove. "Quick, we better turn it off!"

"But we need to heat it," she argued. "Maybe I should take the lid off..."

"What if it explodes like a volcano?" Puck asked. "Let me do it." Before she could protest, he put himself between her and the stove and reached for the lid.

"I can handle it!" she argued, trying to move around him to get to the lid. There was a loud 'pop' from inside, steam escaping out the sides where the lid was _lifting on its own._

"It's alive!" Puck yelped, stumbling away from it as he watched the lid rise up. "Get down, it's gonna blow!"

"For heck's sake, Puck, it's just steam!" Sabrina yelped, untangling from him and taking the lid off, lifting the pot from the stove and facing it away. The sauce was bubbling in a way that could only be described as 'violently'.

"It's evil steam," Puck insisted. "Look at it! It wants to come out of the pot and eat us!"

Needless to say, Puck rarely spent time in the kitchen at home when cooking was actually being done.

Sabrina turned to stare at him. Then she burst out laughing, nearly dropping the pot. "Puck, go watch TV."

The Trickster King looked at Sabrina, and pouted. "You're laughing at me," he said, pretending to wipe away a tear. But a grin was threatening through, and it was obvious.

"I promise, I'll be fine cooking," Sabrina said simply. "It won't be a five star meal, but it won't kill us."

"Good - I don't want to die at the hands of evil food," Puck said. He stepped towards her and kissed her. "Be careful," he added seriously.

"You're taking this evil food thing way too seriously," she rolled her eyes again. "Now go into the living room where the big bad spaghetti sauce won't get you."

Puck darted out of the room, not needing to be told twice. He'd never realized just how _dangerous_ a kitchen really was!

About a half hour later, Sabrina had managed to make an okay spaghetti with sauce, although she wouldn't talk about the condition of the kitchen.

"Feels kinda weird to be eating dinner alone," she commented, grinning. She was sitting across from him at the dinner table.

"Weird bad, or weird good?" Puck asked. "I don't have to worry about whether or not your dad will try to kill me if I'm affectionate."

"Just weird," she said with a grin, twirling some of the pasta on her fork. "No rules, no parents, no curfew, no bedtime... It's pretty cool."

Puck shoveled a few forkfuls into his mouth before responding - and he remembered to swallow first. "Being able to do what you want is definitely pretty cool," he said with a nod and a grin. "We can even stay up all night if we want to."

"There's more spaghetti in the kitchen, by the way," Sabrina joked.

Then she paused and looked to her plate.

Puck set his fork down and looked at her curiously. "What is it?" he asked.

"Something that's been bothering me for a few months," she murmured. "You didn't tell me about it, but Kerdy did."

He frowned slightly. "Something that's been bothering you?" He suddenly wondered if there was something that he'd forgotten to tell her, that Kerdy hadn't.

Sabrina glanced to the oven-made garlic bread, thankful it had come in a package for easy-making. "That I apparently know the Master of the Scarlet Hand. I mean, I know it was a possibility, but... Someone who knows about our bracelets?"

Puck glanced at his own bracelet, wrapped around its usual place on his wrist. "There aren't a lot of people who do know about that, are there?"

"Not really," Sabrina murmured. "It's been bothering me how the Scarlet Hand comes and goes like that."

"Yeah," Puck said darkly. "I wonder how many of them there are now."

"I just can't think of anyone who would know about my bracelet," Sabrina murmured. "Who could betray us all that way."

Puck hesitated. "I hate to say it, but...just because we think they won't betray us doesn't mean they can't."

"Puck, I spent how many years distrustful of the weirdest suspects?" she asked sarcastically. "For all I know, it could be Snow White. I don't know. But I'm trying not to suspect them all anymore. That just... caused fighting."

She glanced to her hands.

Puck winced. Then he got up from his chair and walked around to Sabrina's. Stopping behind her, he leaned down and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "Sorry," he murmured.

"What are you apologizing for?" she asked quietly, leaning back against the chair so it wouldn't be as hard for him to hug her.

"Making you think about the fighting," Puck murmured. "I don't what that to hang over us."

"Don't worry about it. We can act like it never happened, but it did. Thankfully, it's not a big deal anymore," she sighed. "But I'm still no closer to figuring out who the Master is."

"We'll figure it out," Puck said, "but it can wait a little, can't it? I want this time to be about us."

"I guess," she grinned and nudged him. "Go eat your dinner. I don't want to hear you griping later about how I let you starve."

Puck chuckled, and kissed her cheek. "Okay," he agreed, releasing her to go back to his plate.

"Kay. No more Master, no Scarlet Hand, none of that stuff, for the rest of the vacation," Sabrina swore, looking solemn.

"Just you and me?" Puck picked up his glass and snagged a piece of garlic bread.

"Yep," Sabrina said. "We should plan out what we wanna do. We could see some Broadway shows, or go to a movie, there's karaoke bars..."

"I don't think I've ever heard you sing," Puck said with a slow smile at the mention of karaoke bars.

"Probably cause I'm not good at it--but I've never heard you sing either," she pointed out.

"I don't know if I'm any good," Puck said with a laugh. "I've never done it around anyone who could tell me."

"We're gonna laugh at each other so much," she joked.

"We should have some sort of wager," Puck said. "Like, whoever sings the best gets to choose something."

"No way," she said, shaking her head. "Not even close."

"Aww." Puck paused to devour more food. In only a few bites, more than half the plate was done. "Anyway, let's definitely hit a movie, the theater at home never gets the new stuff right away."

"What kind of movie? Romance?" Sabrina asked hopefully.

Puck twitched a little, but he saw the hopeful look in her face. "Uh… sure," he said. "We'll take a look and see what's playing."

"You really don't want to see romance, do you?" She asked, studying him.

"It's not my first choice," Puck admitted. "But if it's what you want to see, I'll deal with it."

"I don't want you 'dealing with' it," she said. "I want us both to have a good time."

Puck looked at her. "How about we look and see what's playing," he suggested, "and we try to find a movie that has most or all of what we want to see?"

"Sounds good," Sabrina decided.

She finished her portion of food, then tapped the table out of boredom.

"You done?" Puck asked with a slow grin, watching her. He'd just finished off his own plate, as well.

"Are you?" she asked, seeing that he hadn't eaten very much in comparison.

"I'm good," he said, his eyes shining as he looked at her. "I'll save the rest for later."

"This is so freaking awkward," she laughed, looking down at her lap. "Have we ever been this awkward around each other before?"

Puck grinned sheepishly. "Must be the fact that we haven't been alone like this before," he said. "C'mon - we picked up some dessert, right? Let's get some and move into the living room."

"We got ice cream and cheesecake," Sabrina agreed, getting up and twisting her hands together nervously. "Which one do you want?"

"Mmm." Puck walked over to her and pulled her into his arms. He nuzzled her, brushing his lips against her cheek. "Cheesecake."

"You're so touchy-feely," she joked, hugging him. "Seriously, are you really Puck?"

"You don't like it?" he asked with a chuckle. "Like I said, I don't have to worry about your dad killing me here."

"Is that really all that held you back in Grandma's house?" Sabrina asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, no, not all," Puck admitted. "But there's just something about being here with you, and everything that happened lately, that makes me want to kiss you a lot." He grinned. "It's your fault I like kisses."

Laughing again, she shoved him playfully. "Keep your pants on for now, hormone-boy," she said, shaking her head. "I'll meet you in the living room with dessert."

Puck let go of her and hurried for the living room, laughing as he did so.

He flopped down onto the couch, propping up his feet on the coffee table and lounging. He looked _extremely _comfortable.

Sabrina came into the room a moment later with two small plates of cheesecake, sitting next to him and snuggling close. "Here's to our first night of vacation?"

Puck took his plate, eyes bright as he looked at her. "Here's to our first night," he agreed.

He felt at ease and relaxed, more so than he'd felt in a long time. This vacation was going to be awesome.

Sabrina looked to her cheesecake, feeling giddy. She barely tasted any of it. Before, whenever she and Puck had heavily made out or kissed, she had simply felt happy and in love. Now, she felt nervous and uncertain, wondering how it would go and if she should do something different. She didn't know exactly what he expected, either.

"Hey," he said suddenly, quietly. "Don't be nervous, okay? When it happens it'll happen, and it isn't going to change how I feel about you."

His cheeks burned, and he wasn't quite looking at her as he spoke.

"You've been so overly touchy I didn't know if you expected we'd do it like... for sure... or tonight even," Sabrina mumbled into her empty plate.

"Not for sure or tonight," Puck said with a shake of his head. "But...knowing that you want to take that step with me... it makes me really happy." His voice was lower on that part and he was staring at his plate as well.

Sabrina looked up at him after a moment, expression touched. She knew she was blushing again. "Thanks, Puck."

He finally looked up, and grinned, completely serious and being very sweet.

She smiled back, leaning in for a kiss. And right before she connected, she jabbed his cheesecake with her fork and stole a huge chunk, yanking back and shoving it in her mouth triumphantly. "Mfffwne!" she said, trying to say 'mine'.

Puck's eyes, which had begun to close as she had leaned in, suddenly flew open. His jaw dropped. "You...you...that's MY CHEESECAKE!" he cried in disbelief. "You stole my cheesecake!"

Sabrina would have stuck her tongue out at him, but her mouth was still full, so she settled for a 'nyah nyah' sound, chewing a few times.

He stared down at his plate. "You...half of it's gone," he said, looking rather dismal.

Then he narrowed his eyes and grabbed his own fork, stabbing it into what remained of his piece and devouring it like there was no tomorrow. He was not going to let her take anymore!

Sabrina nearly choked, laughing around her piece and working to finish swallowing it so she could talk. When she finally could, she burst into giggles. "You can slow down, I'm not gonna take anymore! That actually made me a little sick..."

"Mmpfhghall," came the reply, Puck's fork sticking halfway out of his mouth as he stared at her. She'd been too late - all the rest of his piece was gone already, and it looked like he'd started to eat the fork.

She looked up, then groaned and shook her head. "Wow. Okay hurry up, I can't look at that, it's gonna make me sick," she joked, turning away.

Puck yanked the fork out of his mouth and dropped it onto the plate, looking sheepish. "Sorry," he said with a laugh. "I don't think you've ever stolen my food like that."

"You do it to me all the time," she teased, still not looking at him.

"Well, yeah, but that's me," Puck said with a laugh. "Hey, c'mon, why aren't you looking at me?"

"Cause I ate that way too fast, and if you're being messy I'm really not gonna be able to keep it down," she explained.

Puck glanced around. His eyes lit on a tissue box perched on the end table, and he snatched up a few tissues to wipe at his mouth and get rid of any residual cheesecake crumbs.

"Clean," he said with a grin.

She turned back to look at him, relieved to know that he'd meant it. "Thanks."

"No problem, I like you looking at me and I don't want you getting sick," Puck replied, his grin widening. Some of his hair flopped across his forehead.

She blushed and ducked her head. "Dork."

"Do I get that kiss now?" he teased. "Or was that just a ploy to get my cheesecake?"

"Give me a good reason to kiss you," she teased back.

Puck smirked, and then leaned towards her. "How about...I'm devilishly handsome, extremely charming, and you love me?" he asked.

"Two out of three," Sabrina grinned, leaning in and kissing him softly on the lips.

Puck's arms stole around her waist suddenly, pulling her closer as his eyes slid shut and he returned the kiss. He'd figure out which was the missing one later.

Sabrina kissed him with a soft sigh, feeling much more relaxed. The tension and the pressure were gone. She was simply kissing the boy she'd been in love with for years.

One of Puck's hands slid up her back, sliding into her hair. He didn't try anything else, simply content to hold her and kiss her. They had, after all, all vacation to try and take things further.

When she pulled back, she smiled at him. "Wanna watch some TV before we go to bed?"

He grinned. "Sure," he said. "Think this place has more channels than Ferryport Landing? I never had a TV the last time I lived here."

"Lots more," she said, reaching for the remote.

"Cool." Puck leaned back on the couch, draping his arm around her shoulders as they settled in. "And we don't even have to go to bed until we're ready."

"Yep," Sabrina laughed, flipping on the TV. They had all the time in the world.

***.*.*.*.***

She strode down the block as if it belonged to her, long hair trailing behind her. The human glamour she'd chosen that day had a slender body with long legs, long blonde hair, and icy blue eyes. Despite her disguise, most of her subjects knew exactly who she was. Her mood was still extremely sour. She had never completely recovered from the loss of her only equal and mate.

Most people assumed she'd eventually moved on—and the majority believed she'd never truly loved her husband in the first place.

_'Fools,'_ she thought, narrowing her eyes and walking past the mortals without even acknowledging their presence. They didn't matter. Mortals were fragile and insignificant, only good for entertainment and manual labor. The few worthwhile ones she met were still only acknowledgeable for their status or usefulness. Her list of worthwhile mortals was very small.

Head held high, Titania walked into the jewelry store, glancing around. She considered the place to be quaint, although the quality of jewelry was amazing. She valued Irene and Curdie as members of Faerie if only for the spectacular pieces they created specially for her.

"Queen Titania!" Irene said brightly, greeting her with a warm smile. "Oh, I wasn't expecting you back so soon!"

Titania gave a cold smile. "Hello, Irene. How is your husband? Still producing music and serenading you?"

Irene's cheeks colored. "Well, yes. Music is his passion, after all. It's mine too, I just happen to be good with gems, and he happens to be creative with design. He's inspired by music, you know."

"Yes. Fascinating," Titania murmured, glancing at the cases.

Irene simply went behind a counter, pulling out a wide lock box and messing with the combination. A moment later, she'd opened it to show a magnificent necklace and earring set. It was all set in diamond and sapphire, a choker with a dragon coiling up one side, tail dipping down into the center. Small diamond teardrops rained from each sapphire on the dragon's tail, which would rest just above Titania's breasts.

The earrings were shaped as smaller, coiled dragons, teardrops dangling from the tails.

"Perfect," Titania murmured, touching the gems. "How did you know I planned on wearing a deep blue dress to the next ball?"

"I didn't, but it felt like the right color to use," Irene said brightly. "How has Mustardseed been?"

"The usual," Titania said, closing the box. "I'm hoping to find a suitable woman to fall in love with him at the next ball."

"Unsuccessful each time in the past?" Irene inquired.

"Yes. There have been girls, but they have not been taken with him. Not as much as I'd like."

"Oh! That reminds me," Irene said, looking up at Titania. "I finally met your other son, Puck."

"Don't be ridiculous, child," Titania said, waving one of her hands. "Puck is inside the barrier of Ferryport Landing. In order to meet him, you'd have to trap yourself there as well."

Irene looked puzzled. "But he came here with his girlfriend a few hours ago, Queen. You didn't know he was visiting?"

Titania's hand froze over the box, and she narrowed her eyes at the other girl. "Explain to me exactly what you mean."

Irene fidgeted. "Puck was here with a girl named Sabrina. I let him take a piece of jewelry, and he chose a ring for her. The left together—I had mentioned they should visit you."

Titania recoiled as if she'd been slapped. "Puck, here? With Sabrina Grimm?"

And then her eyes widened. She didn't care how or why they were there. The point was, Sabrina was _there._

"Thank you Irene. You've done well," Titania murmured, snatching the box and leaving in a hurry. Her eyes rounded with excitement. The ball was inconsequential. She didn't need to find a random girl to fall in love with Mustardseed. Sabrina was within her grasp, finally.

Her eyes darkened again at the memory, well over a year prior to her current predicament. She had been ready to give up hope, especially when Veronica Grimm had informed her that their plans of visiting New York had been cancelled.

_'Well, Moth,'_ Titania thought, tucking the box under her arm. Just because the ball didn't matter didn't mean she didn't want to keep the set. _'It seems you're still useful to me.'_

The spell had seemed pretty simple and straightforward. The problem was, they hadn't been able to meet the requirements. After years of bitterness and loneliness, Titania had ventured into the Faerie Prison they'd shoved Moth into. She'd been stripped of her powers and her wings, a miserable and pathetic sight. Though she had been restricted of simple things like daylight and food that wasn't moldy, she had been allowed access to the libraries. While there, she'd found a book of spells that had been shoved behind other books—and quickly found out the reason why it had been hidden.

She'd pleaded to Titania for mercy, knowing the Queen had come to put an end to her in a fit of rage. That was when Titania had found out about the spell. The one that could bring Oberon back to her.

_'It should be so simple,'_ Titania thought, striding back for the kingdom with anger. _'Over a year of planning, and not one of the girls has ever fallen in love with Mustardseed. Useless sacrifices. Well, that's about to change. Oberon, my love, my husband… it's finally time. This girl is in love with one of your bloodline, and she's mortal. A shame that she's Veronica Grimm's daughter.'_

Hurrying to the kingdom, down to the dungeons, Titania didn't even bother removing her glamour. She went right to Moth's cell, slamming her palm into one of the bars. "Wakeup."

The girl inside bore almost no resemblance to Moth. Her hair was limp and dull, body nothing but skin and bones. She looked pale and sick, but her eyes were calculating and wild, like a trapped animal's. "M-my queen," she murmured, getting over her initial shock and scampering towards the bars. "Have you f-found another?"

"Yes," Titania said coldly. "Tell me again, exactly how does the spell work?"

Moth swallowed. Her throat still felt dry afterwards. "The spell is designed to drain the life someone who genuinely loves King O-Oberon, or one of his bloodline, to restore his body, flesh, blood, and bones. In her death, his soul will return and he will be whole, as if he had never been killed."

"Permanent, and flawless," Titania echoed, the words that had swayed her from simply killing Moth when she'd found out about the spell. "The girl can be mortal, correct?"

"The process will be slower, but yes," Moth breathed. "A mortal will work just fine. As long as she is in love with a member of King Oberon's bloodline, the spell I will recite will bring him back."

"Prepare to cast the spell again," Titania said coldly. "I will restore your magic when the time comes, and this time, it may be permanent."

"Y-yes, My Queen," Moth whispered, eyes widening. "How did you ever find someone to fall in love with Mustardseed in such a short time?"

"Not Mustardseed," Titania said calmly. "Puck." She didn't bother sticking around, dress swirling around her feet as she turned on her heel and left the ex-fairy alone in her cell.

Moth's eyes widened even farther. A spark of delight appeared. Not only would she get herself back in Titania's good graces by reviving Oberon, but she'd have the chance at revenge for her current state as well?

It wasn't that she'd ever loved Puck. She'd convinced herself she had in order to justify marrying him for the throne. That had been part of why she'd felt so threatened to see Puck and Sabrina together. Even at eleven, it had been obvious. Knowing that a mere mortal had been able to experience an emotion that Moth herself probably never would, had been an insult in itself. The fact that the emotion happened to be directed right at her intended husband had made her even more bitter.

She had no delusions of killing Sabrina and becoming Queen. She had no false hope that she would get a happily ever after from fulfilling Titania's favor and murdering the girl she had once seen as a rival.

But she was beyond caring. All she had left was her life and her revenge.

And soon, she would get her chance back for both.

***.*.*.*.***

**A/N:**

**Sky:** Hope you liked it ^^** And sadly, our updates are going to slow to about once a week. We're both a lot busier, so we'll try to update on either Saturday or Sunday. Unexpected increased workload :/ Sorry. Hopefully we won't fall behind even FARTHER than that.**

**Thank you to the reviewers who make it exciting and fun for us to post! And to all the ones who reviewed since last chapter went up: SeekDreamsAndFindHope, Elena Forest** (Yay, you're caught up! Welcome!), **Jo **(Yep… I'll go fix that XD),** Amy, wormybook, Sabrina Grimm, A CertainPeantButterSandwich, she wants to move, fangfan5, ILoveGeorgeCooper, Lyla Domae, Squiggles **(It's fluffy but it'll get back to plot soon), **Trickster Queen464, emerald and onyx, Dramaqueenruling, Lilyflower-314, Tanglenight, Lara D** (Thanks for the e-mail ^^ You're adorable.)** iD Sisters Grimm iD, Blue-Eyed-Lily, curlscat, msjezzi-bella, gothicgal000, DragonFly7312, SweeneyToddLover26, mysterious** (Sweet. Thanks ^^), **RainbowofSmiles16, chemicalsilver, Grrrgirl1, Lumiere Nordiques, Harmony352,** and just barely making the cut, our wonderful **Viva-Musica ^^**

Love you guys :) Thanks.

**Fun Fact #3874:** When I was shopping for my engagement ring, a stuck-up lady behind the counter answered, when I inquired about the price of a ruby ring I liked, "Those are ruuubies, honey, they're expeeensive."

I went with pink sapphires and diamonds at a less snobby store instead.

**Fun Fact #97304:** Irene is pronounced "Eye-Reen-Eee". This is why Sabrina asked "Irenee" when she echoed it, rather than having it spelled right XD

**Fun Fact #4:** Ayns and I will never see Titania and Oberon as anything other than their characters from the Gargoyles cartoon. They rocked our socks XD While we see them from Gargoyles, we do NOT see Puck from Gargoyles. That'd be awkward.

**Fun Fact #89:** Ayns has the kitchen from hell. We'll never attempt tomato soup at her house again, and spaghetti sauce DOES splatter like it wants to explode.

**Fun Fact #24:** One of the titles Ayns suggested for this chapter was: "Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Cheesecake

**Fun Fact #912934:** I love cheesecake.

ANYWAY! R/R please ^^ And if my fun facts annoy you, lemme know and I'll stop XD


	31. Changes

**EDIT: Sky: Re-Added scene skips.**

**A/N:**

**Ayns: Wow, everyone... well, first, I'd like to say thank you for all of the great reviews. **Life in general has had me kind of down lately, and sometimes when that happens it starts to affect my confidence in writing. Added to that is the fact that Sky talks to you all a lot more often than I do... mostly because with the timing, by the time she'd finished fine-tuning the edits on our chapters, I'm about to pass out at the keyboard! Seriously, if I tried to talk to everyone at some of those times, all you'd get is a whole lot of as;ldkja;gjgjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj.

Please, no one try to pronounce that out loud. But if you do, kindly inform me of your success.

I do believe I feel some Mountain Dew kicking it.

The lovely news is, I'm on a new schedule at work, and if Sky and I can keep up this patternF of when we work on these chapters and post, I should be able to give a bit more to the A/N's aside from ZZZZ.

I think I'm in ramble mode, especially when what I mostly wanted to do was just thank you guys a bunch for all of your support - and I love that you all love No Matter What!

**Sky: See? She's alive. She was NOT in my basement, collecting dust while I stole he anime collection and Yugioh cards.**

Eheheheheh. Hehehe. Heh…

**ANYWAY! Beware, slightly NUDE content… Nothing graphic, but be warned, there is implied sex in this chapter. Other than that… Enjoy ^^**

***.*.*.*.***

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter Thirty-One: Changes_**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

In all honesty, she'd never had a better vacation in her life. There were no rules, no adults, and no curfews to keep them from having any kind of fun they wanted. Sabrina had insisted they try to act normal, although there were still a few awkward moments where she or Puck would have to stop and think 'is it time?' or something similar.

In order to stop from freaking out, they'd occupied themselves by going to movies and dates, finding quite a few establishments now run by Everafters, thanks to Veronica. A week into the trip, they had yet to take the next step.

Well, Sabrina was ready to change that. They'd agreed on the way home from dinner at a nice Chinese restaurant that they were ready. So, while Puck sat in the bedroom waiting, Sabrina had taken a shower, brushed her teeth, taken another shower, and had just finished brushing her teeth again. She didn't know whether or not to go out naked or wearing a towel or get dressed again. She wouldn't even consider the idea of lingerie, even though she'd gotten some on an impulse buy.

"Okay," she said to herself, looking in the mirror. "You can do this. It's just Puck."

She stared back at her own reflection, seeing her wide blue eyes and flushed cheeks, her hair already drying and fluffing around her a little. Very hesitantly, she followed her own gaze down to her collarbone, then to the big green towel she had wrapped around herself. She unwrapped it hesitantly, checking to see if anything was out of order or embarrassing. With a touch of vanity, she had to admit, she looked pretty hot. Her chest wasn't too big or too small, she didn't have a trace of acne or unwanted freckles, and years of playing dodge-the-danger had kept her body toned and slender.

Still…

She wrapped the towel back around herself, gulping. Better to take it one step at a time.

With her resolve firmly in place, Sabrina headed for the bathroom door, checking off her list of preparations she'd made in her head.

1. They were both ready and comfortable

2. They had protection ready

3. She had remembered to take the birth control pills her mother had gotten her prescribed

4. Nothing smelled or looked yucky

5. She knew she was in love with the boy she was about to give herself to.

Stepping out of the bathroom, she walked across the hall to the bedroom, the carpet tickling her feet a little. She wore only a towel and the ring he had given her.

Puck was standing in the bedroom, trying not to look as anxious as he felt - and he was pretty sure that he was failing. He was acutely aware that Sabrina was in the bathroom, and his imagination kept trying to supply him with possible mental images. He kept smacking his imagination, telling it to wait until he saw the real thing.

He was going to see the real thing. That was the part that was threatening to overwhelm him, and he did not want to act like a spazz when she came into the room.

Unsure whether or not he was supposed to undress while waiting for her, he'd tugged off his shirt, but hadn't decided about his pants yet. His back was to the door, and when he heard the bathroom door open and shut, he shoved his hands nervously through his hair and took a deep breath.

Sabrina looked to him once she entered the room, and she couldn't help but frown a little. "Hey..." She hugged the towel self consciously. "I'm wearing way less than you."

Puck turned towards her, fully prepared to make a witty statement - until he saw her.

Even though she still had a towel wrapped around her, he found himself suddenly robbed of speech, and his mouth felt like cotton candy. "Whu...whoa..."

"..." Sabrina looked at the floor quickly, feeling awkward and embarrassed. "A-anyway... Should I just... Drop the towel or something?"

Puck's cheeks were heating up, and he managed a slight nod as his hands went down to the waistband of his pants - she was, after all, right in that she had less on than he did. "Okay."

Sabrina mentally counted to ten--then dropped the towel, standing there more or less completely nude in front of him. Her hair was long enough that she could have used it to cover herself, but then, what would the point have been?

So she slowly raised her eyes to see his face, steeling herself to keep her arms at her side and not whoosh them in front of her chest.

Puck's eyes went wide, and with a sudden rush of air, his wings sprang out from his back, straight behind him in surprise. Vocals were gone. Voice? What was that? All he could do was stare.

Sabrina couldn't help it--the minute his wings popped out, she burst into giggles and doubled over. "I guess you're happy to see me?" she laughed, unable to resist teasing the crap out of him.

Blood rushed to Puck's face, turning him an interesting shade of red as his wings fluttered. "That's not fair," he said. "How do you _expect_ me to react?" Because Sabrina was.... wow.

"Well I've thought about a boy reacting to seeing me naked before," she paused mid-giggle. "But I never imagined he'd have wings popping out without permission!"

Puck's blush didn't let up, and he finished undoing his pants, pushing the jeans off of his hips - it left him clad only in boxers. "Want me to put them away?"

"It'd probably be..." Her laughter left completely when she realized he was undressing, and she went right back to awkward and embarrassed. "More comfortable..."

She hurried to the bed and dove under the blankets. "Just join me when you're done, then I'll look."

Puck's confidence found itself returning, and he smirked slightly. When he was done, he walked over to the bed and drew back the blankets, sliding in beside her. "Okay," he said, looking at her. "I'm done."

Slowly, she turned to look at him. Without any warning, she lifted the blankets completely and looked at him head to toe. Her cheeks were bright red.

Puck's smirk turned into a slow smile as he watched her. "Like what you see?" he asked, his voice quieter than normal. This was new territory for him just as much for her.

"How can you be smirking?" she laughed shakily, putting the blanket back. "And what do you mean, like what I see? You dork..."

She leaned in and kissed him before he could answer, figuring if anything could make her comfortable, that would. At the same time, one of her soft hands found his chest, the palm flat against the muscles there. He wasn't exactly buff or muscled, but it was more muscle than had been there a few years back.

Puck wrapped his arms around her, smoothing his hand over her hip and pulling her close. It was impossible not to notice that they were both completely naked when he held her that way, but he tried not to let it distract him or make him even more nervous. She felt soft and fragile in his arms, and he pulled her closer, closing his eyes and letting himself fall into the kiss. It wasn't hard. Kissing Sabrina was still one of his favorite things to do, and that was never going to change. Not so long as she loved him the way he loved her.

When the kiss broke, Sabrina was feeling a lot more at ease, and she put a bit of pressure on his chest to halt him. "Hey," she whispered. "Are you scared?"

"Who, me?" Puck asked in typical Puck tone...and then his expression became hesitant. "Yeah," he confessed. "A little."

She swallowed, then smiled slowly at him. "Me too," she confessed right back, letting him know she was just as nervous as he was.

He brought his hand up to rest on top of hers, and then lightly ran his thumb over her knuckles. "We've got all night," he said.

"Yeah... No rush, no pressure," Sabrina grinned, turning her hand in his to squeeze it. "Love ya, fairyboy." She let go of his hand then, smoothing it over his shoulder and then snuggling closer, bringing her face close to his and rubbing one of her ankles against his in an almost teasing manner.

"Love you, too, Grimm," Puck murmured, leaning in for another kiss and tucking her back into his arms where she belonged. He kissed her sweetly and slowly, eyes closed and heart pounding. He didn't want to rush her or scare her—and most of all, he didn't want to hurt her. So he took it slow. One step at a time.

***.*.*.*.***

The first thing Sabrina noticed in the morning was that her body felt a little sore. Other than that, she was incredibly relaxed and happy.

Without disturbing the sleeping fairy next to her, she slid out of bed and found a robe, putting it on with a giddy little squeak when she felt how sensitive her skin was.

Finding the bathroom was a bit awkward, because walking was uncomfortable and she kept glancing back at Puck's sleeping face. Eventually though, she managed to get a shower and get dressed, heading to the kitchen to make breakfast before Puck woke up. The experience had been...

Well, it hadn't been perfect--there had been moments of awkwardness, and moments of pain. But all in all, it had been a wonderfully emotional experience that had made them closer. She'd even cried a little.

Now she felt completely comfortable and relieved, and any thoughts of what Bluebeard might have done to her were completely pushed from her mind. She had Puck, she would have him until she died, and that was all she needed.

***.*.*.*.***

Puck was a naturally heavy sleeper. When he was lying in a warm bed on a comfortable pillow with soft blankets, it was near impossible to wake him up. Sometimes it was more difficult than waking up Daphne.

But the smell of food wafting in from the kitchen was enough to rouse him from his sleep, and he sat up in bed and gave a large stretch. A glance to his side to confirm that Sabrina was, in fact, not in bed and was making breakfast brought a grin to his face.

He pushed back the blankets and tugged on a pair of sweatpants, emerging from the bedroom a moment later and following his nose to Sabrina and breakfast.

Sabrina was humming to herself in the kitchen, trying to get the hang of flipping eggs without a spatula. Jake had tried to show her once, but she couldn't get her wrist to do it right, so while the bacon and toast was fine, the eggs were a bit sad-looking. Either way, it smelled delicious, and she didn't notice Puck, preparing to flip the next batch of over-easy eggs.

Puck couldn't keep himself from near-drooling as he walked into the kitchen and stared hungrily at the breakfast. He didn't care if the eggs looked sad, not when they smelled that good.

But he still needed to say something. "Those eggs look like they need cheering up," he said from the doorway to the kitchen, looking at the frying pan with a grin.

"EEK!" Sabrina had moved to flip the eggs when he'd spoken, but his voice had startled her, making her fling them up way too high. When they landed in the skillet, the yolks burst, and some of it splattered on the stove. "..."

Puck sweat-dropped, not sure if he should laugh or not. "Um...oops?" he asked, looking at her warily.

Sabrina looked over at him blankly, then started laughing. "Ass. Don't sneak up on me like that!"

At her laughter, he grinned. "I didn't do it on purpose this time," he said, crossing the room and standing next to her.

"That's the only reason I'm not going to kill you," she joked, scraping the eggs onto the plate she'd been keeping the cooked ones on.

"You mean it doesn't have anything to do with how awesome I was last night?" Puck asked with a grin. He leaned in and brushed his lips against her cheek.

"You're not gonna make jokes about rocking my world now, are you?" she asked, grinning at him with a hint of wary suspicion.

Puck blinked, and then looked disappointed. "You mean I can't?" he asked. "Aw, man, I'm going to need new material."

She rolled her eyes. "Wait 'til you actually rock my world before you crack jokes about it," she teased. "Besides. Aunt Briar told me it gets better over time."

At that his eyes lit up. "Better?" he asked with a broad grin.

Sabrina laughed and turned the stove off. "I know, right? So gimme a break. We can try again later, when I'm not feeling sore, unless you make stupid jokes."

"I'll put the jokes on hold then," Puck said. He put his hands on her waist and kissed her temple. His voice dropped to a murmur. "You okay?"

The joking grin left her eyes, replaced with a shy look that meant his concern had made her feel nice. "Yeah. Just sore. Aunt Briar and mom promised that goes away too. Then I told them they were grossing me out, so that's all the knowledge I have left from real people."

Puck grinned. "Then we'll just have to figure the rest of it out on our own," he said. "But first, breakfast. I'm starved."

"Yes, oh great one of the bottomless pit," she said, rolling her eyes. "Sit down, I'll serve it."f

She had no intention of being the kind to wait on someone hand and foot, but while they were on vacation, since he was being sweet and not even thinking about any kind of pranks (not to mention he'd gotten her some nifty free stuff with his influence) she had been treating him more like a king.

Puck grinned, doing as she said and watching her as she got the food ready to serve. "I could get used to this," he said in a teasing tone.

"Yeah? Well don't," she said with a grin, bringing the plates over. She brought orange juice and sprite to the table too, wanting some carbonation first thing in the morning.

"You mean you aren't going to make this habit?" Puck teased. "I better relish it while I can."

"You do that," she teased, sitting down. She winced sharply, then stood back up and went to the cabinet near the bathroom. She came back with some aspirin, making no comment as she took them with her orange juice.

Puck looked at her and opened his mouth to ask if she was okay - then closed it, realizing it was a useless question. She'd be okay, she was just sore, like she said.

He flushed a little because he could recall perfectly why she was sore. "Thanks for cooking," he said honestly, picking up his fork.

"You'd poison us both," she joked, messing with her eggs and toast. "So, what's on the agenda for today? We ever gonna call Mustardseed and hang out?"

Puck shoved a forkful of eggs into his mouth, chewed, and swallowed. He was getting better with table manners. "I guess we probably should," he said. "He'll give me grief if we don't see him, at least."

"Then again, the longer we put it off, the longer you have me to yourself," she pointed out, blushing. She was really enjoying the time alone.

He looked at her, and his eyes gleamed as a slow smile spread across his face. "I'm liking _that_ option much better," he said. "We could always stay in today."

She grinned back at him, a playful glint in her eyes.

***.*.*.*.***

"Okay, we call him _tonight," _Sabrina said, one of her many statements about visiting Mustardseed. Like all the others, she doubted they would remember.

They only had a few days left on their trip--despite everything, they had ended up staying in for the next three days without calling anyone after eating breakfast. They were out of groceries and out of... other supplies.

She pulled a shirt on, yawning and not even checking to see whose it was. Her stomach was growling loudly at the fact that it was well past noon and they hadn't eaten a thing.

Puck tried to suppress his grin when he saw that the shirt she'd put on was his. "Do you think we should write it down this time?" he joked. "Then again, we tried that...and didn't find the note until the next day."

"I don't even wanna talk about that," she laughed in embarrassment, yawning. "Man... I'm so tired. I don't even want to go shopping today, but we're out of like everything."

Puck nodded. "And my stomach isn't going to be happy if it misses a meal," he said. "Let's go get breakfast out, and then we can go grocery shopping."

"Sure," Sabrina murmured, looking like the last thing she wanted to do was go outside and do... well, anything. She wanted to shower and sleep.

Puck looked at her for a moment, and then rose from the bed. "Or," he said, "you get some rest, and I'll take care of the shopping and get some food."

"Huh?" Sabrina turned to look at him, a little uncertain. "Are you sure you don't mind?"

"Nah," Puck said with a shrug of his shoulders. "I mean, you've been cooking most of the meals for the last few days, and you look like you're exhausted. I don't want to be pulling you out of the way of taxis." He leaned down and kissed her lightly. "Relax. I'll handle it."

She grinned, trying not to openly swoon at him. "Right, cause if I get hit by a taxi, no car for me. Thanks Puck... This is really sweet of you."

He grinned. "Hey, I gotta be sweet sometimes, right? It's in the boyfriend manual or something... do you want me to pick something already made up on my way back?"

"Hm..." Sabrina looked thoughtful. "Krispy Kreme Donuts. Those are freaking tasty."

She kissed him again, then yawned and pulled back. "I'll go take a shower and get some sleep while I wait. You're the best, Puck."

"I know," Puck said with a grin, then headed out before she could try to smack him for the cocky response. There were places to get food right in the area, so it wasn't like he'd have to go far.

Laughing softly, Sabrina got out of bed, heading for the bathroom to take a nice, hot shower.

***.*.*.*.***

Puck pushed open the door, staggering a little under the weight of the bags that he was carrying, with the donut box perched precariously on top of it all.

"Phew," he said when he successfully managed to get everything to the kitchen without dropping any of it. He set the donuts down on the counter. "Hey, Sabrina, I'm back!" he called.

When there wasn't an answer, he headed for the bedroom. She was probably taking a nap or something - she'd been exhausted, after all. Hopefully a sugar rush would help - he'd gotten several of her favorite donuts.

But opening the bedroom door did nothing but reveal an empty bed. Likewise a look in the bathroom showed the shower empty.

And the condo wasn't that big. If she wasn't in bed, and she wasn't in the shower, then theoretically she should have answered his call.

He stood in the middle of the living room after checking every room - closet included - and stared at the turned off TV. It didn't make sense that Sabrina wasn't there. All of her things were. And there was no note.

A knot twisted in his stomach. They'd been through too much for him to just shrug this off and figure that she'd stepped out for a moment. She wouldn't have done that without leaving a note.

He threw open the balcony doors and pressed his fingers against the bracelet, triggering the silk and extending his wings.

***.*.*.*.***

Sabrina stirred, feeling like she hadn't stretched in hours. Which was odd--the bed was usually very comfy, and she didn't feel like she'd gotten any rest.

_'What's that sound?' _she thought, groaning and turning a bit. Her body refused to turn, so only her head made the movement. There was a low chanting sound, and the voice was feeble, yet annoying.

_'Latin?' _She opened her eyes, but everything was blurry. The sound of the foreign chanting mixed with a desperate plea--a male voice. It sounded like Puck, but it wasn't him...

"Wha..." She opened her eyes fully, realizing immediately why she wasn't comfortable. Instead of the soft bed where she had been sleeping for over a week, she lay on a hard wooden table, her hands bound near the top and her feet bound at the other end. She couldn't really move at all.

And the Latin chanting? She saw the source right next to her, in the form of a ragged-looking Moth, who kept her sneer focused on a large spell book she gripped in both hands, almost hugging it to her chest.

The protesting came from farther away, where nameless guards were holding back a disheveled Mustardseed, and near him, Titania watched the exchange with an impassive expression, as if she were bored.

"What the..." Sabrina trailed off. And her next thought was pure and simple. _'Well, crap. I think this means I'm not getting a car.'_

Mustardseed strained against the grip of the guards holding him. "Unhand me!" he said angrily, glaring at them. Then he turned his head towards Titania. "Mother! What are you _doing?_ That's Sabrina on that table!"

His tone and his expression were enough to show that he had no clue what was happening, no more than Sabrina did. He'd seen Titania bringing Sabrina in, and it had triggered alarms in him - but no matter what he did or said, he couldn't get his mother to tell him what was going on. He just knew it couldn't be good - not with Moth there.

"Silence," Titania said without even sparing a glance at her son. "It will all be over soon."

"Are you kidding me?" Sabrina asked, struggling to free her arms. "Tell me you're not trying to kill me. Can't it wait like a year? I'm not going to get a new car!"

"A car is the least of your problems," Titania said simply, having no idea what Sabrina was babbling about. "And I'm done waiting."

"Waiting for _what?_" Mustardseed demanded. "Mother, she's Puck's girlfriend! What do you think he's going to say when he finds out about this? Or do?"

"Puck is young," Titania said, shaking her head. "She is mortal. She will die one day, if not today, then perhaps in a month. A year. In ten years. Time matters not to our kind. He will move on."

"What the crap?" Sabrina glared at Titania now. "He is _not _moving on from me. And..." She suddenly trailed off. "You _do _know he's aging, right?" she demanded.

"Puck? Aging?" Titania laughed. "Don't lie to me to try and spare yourself, child."

"Mother, she's not lying," Mustardseed said with a shake of his head. Puck might not keep their mother in the loop, but Mustardseed had learned about it while keeping in touch with his brother. "He told me himself when he wrote to me."

"Nothing would make Puck age," Titania said, before Moth broke her concentration to say it. "He is content how he is."

"Was," Sabrina said. "Look, just untie me and talk for like five minutes--I'll bring him here, we can sort this out!"

"As I said, I am done waiting. I do not care if Puck has found an infatuation--a puppy love. He will move on from your death in time," Titania said, shaking her head. "But I have grown impatient."

"Impatient with what?" Sabrina demanded, irritated to no end that Titania wasn't taking Puck's feelings for her seriously.

"With waiting for someone to fall in love with Mustardseed so that I might drain their life to bring back my husband," Titania said simply.

Mustardseed stared at Titania. For a moment he thought she'd gone insane...except, no, that really did sound like something she'd say.

"That's...that's why you've been having all of those balls?" he asked in disbelief. "You've been trying to find a way to bring back _Father?_"

Titania gave a very soft snort. "I don't expect you to understand, nor do I care if you do. I am bringing back my husband whether or not you approve."

"Insane," Sabrina whispered. She craned her head to look at her wrists, moving her left hand to grip her bracelet--when she suddenly gasped. The glimmering cord was pulled tight, already activated.

"Okay instead of waiting while I get Puck, just wait like two more minutes and he'll-" She broke off with a pained intake of breath as the first jolt of the spell seemed to hit her.

Mustardseed felt the magic growing stronger in the air, and again he tried to yank away from the guards. "_Stop!_" he shouted. He couldn't believe it had come to this. Never had he thought his mother would go so far...he hadn't even thought that such a thing were possible! Bring Oberon back from the dead? Resurrect him? At the cost of Sabrina's life?

He thought back to all the letters Puck had sent him, talking about Sabrina. It would _kill_ his brother to lose her.

Sabrina caught her breath, then shuddered. "Puck is on his way here..." she said, feeling sick to her stomach. "See for yourself, he's the same age I am..."

Titania shook her head, sighing. She had no time for lies.

"You're going to really hurt him--don't you care?" Sabrina demanded.

"He will move on," Titania said again. "Though I do expect he'll sulk and hold a grudge for a century or so."

"You're wrong, Mother," Mustardseed said, trying desperately to change Titania's mind. "Puck's changed. He cares for her, he cares for her deeply! You'll destroy him if you hurt her!"

"You children... Everything is the end of the world to you," she shook her head at him. "You'll understand one day, what it means... What it feels like to be destroyed."

Her eyes blazed as she watched the next jolt hit Sabrina. Moth's chanting got higher pitched, as she felt the change. A light aura began to drain off of Sabrina, forming a shape near the table.

Sabrina gasped again in pain, eyes desperately going to her bracelet. _'Puck,' _she thought. _'Puck your mother's lost her mind, hurry!'_She knew that only seeing Puck as proof would make the other woman open her eyes--but she had a bad feeling that Puck was going to be too late.

She was _so _not getting a new car...

"_Mother, stop!_" Mustardseed shouted. For all Titania knew, Moth was doing something completely different that wouldn't bring Oberon back at all. The shape could be a trick.

And even if it wasn't... trading Sabrina's life for Oberon's?

Mustardseed felt like he was going to be sick, and the worst part of it was that he was right there and could do nothing.

"It is a shame that it had to be you, child," Titania said quietly, seeing Sabrina look over at them. "But it cannot be avoided."

Sabrina wasn't sure what was crazier--that she was about to die to bring back Oberon, or that she understood Titania's intentions. It wasn't that Titania necessarily hated her--the woman honestly didn't see Puck suffering over her death, that was all. And she clearly loved her husband--even if Sabrina didn't understand their love. It was... Kind of sweet.

The next jolt of pain put her back in the 'Titania is a psycho bitch' mindset, and she cried out. She tried to yank her wrist to the side, trying to pull the silk tigfr for Puck to know to hurry. He had _promised _her that nothing bad would happen... So of course, it meant something bad had to happen, didn't it? She wasn't really mad about it, just panicked. But a moment later her vision had completely blurred, and the next shock pulled the last scream from her throat. She didn't even hear the door slam open opposite Titania and Mustardseed.

Mustardseed's head snapped up, and his eyes widened - he recognized the teen standing in the doorway, but if he hadn't had prior warning he would have been stunned. He knew Puck had gotten older. He just hadn't seen him physically since then.

"SABRINA!" Puck shouted, his voice echoing in the room as took in the sight in front of him in about three seconds. He didn't know what the hell was going on, he only knew that he had to get to Sabrina, and he rushed to her without another thought.

By the time Puck reached Sabrina, the ghostly form had already taken shape, and she was no longer breathing. The ring slid off her finger, hand limp over the side of the table. It hit the ground and shattered, one of the wings breaking off.

Had it not been for Oberon in the room, Titania might have noticed her eldest son, and his appearance. But she didn't even look at him, eyes fixated on her husband while Moth backed away, looking even more mousey than before.

Oberon slowly opened his eyes, standing next to the table. For a moment he appeared disoriented, as though he couldn't figure out where he was or what he was doing.

When his eyes focused, his gaze searching the room until it landed on his wife.

Just as Titania didn't notice Puck, Puck noticed nothing else but Sabrina. He seized her shoulders, staring down at her. "Sabrina?" he said. "Sabrina!"

Titania moved down the steps and fully into the room, walking up to Oberon. "Amazing," she said, surveying him. "It worked perfectly."

"I-I said it would," Moth said quickly.

Titania ignored her, as well as Puck.

Oberon stared down at his wife, and then raised his hand to lightly touched her cheek. "Titania...?" he asked, a questioning tone in his voice. "What...has happened?"

At the sound of his father's voice, Puck froze suddenly. Slowly he looked up from Sabrina's still body.

Titania smirked, as if thinking him foolish for ever doubting her resolve to keep him with her. "I've brought you back, husband. It's been years since you were murdered, but that doesn't matter now."

"Years?" For Oberon, it felt like almost no time at all had gone by. Had it truly been years? She looked no different, but then again, she wouldn't.

"Four years, to be exact," Titania said, reaching up to cup his cheek. "Welcome home."

A confident smile crossed Oberon's face, and he drew his wife closer.

"What have you done?" Puck hissed, his voice causing Oberon to pause.

Titania glanced towards Puck, to tell him to be quiet, but something made her pause.

The Puck she knew was an unruly and smelly young eleven-year old boy in a filthy green hoodie. This Puck not only stood as tall as his brother, but his clothes were clean, and though he still wore a hoodie, this one looked newer, and much more... fresh.

His voice was deeper too--and come to think of it, the age he appeared was near the age Sabrina Grimm had been. _'Odd...' _she thought, raising her eyebrow.

Oberon slowly looked over towards Puck, and found himself staring at a boy that he hardly recognized. If not for his eyes, he might not even have known that this boy was his son.

Puck wasn't a child anymore. And he was looking at his parents with fury in his eyes.

"What. Have. You. Done?" Puck repeated, each word jumping out of his mouth.

Titania waved a hand dismissively. There was a perfectly good explanation for Puck's appearance... It just couldn't be the obvious one. "Don't fret," she said with a shrug. "She was mortal anyway. There's no way the two of you could have stayed together--you're not mortal."

Mustardseed could see in an instant that her words were the wrong ones to use.

_"Don't you tell me not to fret!" _Puck exploded, wings extended fully to either side. Even his wings looked like they'd gotten older. "You know nothing about us! You know nothing about what we've been through - no matter how many years went by, I would never leave her! Can you even begin to understand that?"

Oberon's reprimand came swiftly. "Do not speak to your mother that way," he said fiercely.

"Shut up," Puck said furiously. "Just _shut up_!"

"It's quite alright," Titania said, shaking her head at Oberon. "I expected him to throw a tantrum. The spell required a sacrifice of life, and the sacrifice had to be in love with someone in your bloodline. I tried many times to get a girl to fall in love with Mustardseed, but unfortunately, none of them loved him, and I no longer had the patience to wait. The worst part is that it happened to be Sabrina Grimm, and Veronica Grimm will not be pleased either."

Moth shrank back a bit more--she'd never seen Puck so furious! Even when she'd poisoned Sabrina, he'd seemed playfully annoyed. What had happened to change him...?

Puck trembled at Titania's words, clenching his fists tightly. That was the worst part? That Veronica wouldn't be pleased?

Oberon processed this, looking at his wife thoughtfully. "I see," he said. He looked at the girl lying still on the table. "I wouldn't have expected it to turn out quite in this manner." He remembered Sabrina, briefly - and since he had never seen the girl with Puck, he'd never thought that the two of them might have any sort of relationship forming.

Then there was the fact that Puck had aged himself. That in and of itself was surprising.

"Well, if it hadn't been for her finding the spell, I would have ended your betrayer's life long ago," Titania shook her head. She had never been a very patient woman. "As is, I will leave her fate to you."

She motioned to Moth, who tensed at Titania's words.

Oberon slowly turned to look towards Moth, his expression going cold. "Oh, yes," he said in a tone of voice that indicated that you did not want to be on this man's bad side. "My little traitor."

It was thanks to Titania that he knew who his murderer was. When he'd spoken to his wife for the last time he had asked her who had killed him - and she had told him, withholding nothing. It was a knowledge that he'd kept with him in the afterlife - never expecting that he'd have the chance to come face to face with Moth herself.

"Despite the fact that without me, you would have had nothing, you still had the gall to plot and carry out my murder," Oberon said coldly. "A grave mistake, Moth."

"But I assisted in bringing you back!" Moth's voice was shrill again. "I have paid for my mistake!"

Titania smirked coldly. She had never intended for Moth to be freed--she had been useful for a short time, but anyone who dare harm her family would never be forgiven.

"You think that resurrecting me is penance enough for what you did?" Oberon asked. "When if not for you I would not have needed resurrection in the first place?" He tilted his head, sneering down at her. "The sight of you sickens me."

"But..." Moth looked frantically to Mustardseed or Puck for help. She had repented for her crimes, and aided Titania, so why were they still going to punish her?

Puck didn't look at Moth. He wasn't looking at anyone but Sabrina now.

Mustardseed, however, had some words of his own when Moth looked towards him. "You don't get it, do you?" he asked. "You're a murderer, Moth."

Moth stared at him in disbelief--and then her disbelief turned to rage. She shouldn't have been guilty! Everything she'd done, she'd done it to ensure she had a future in Faerie--and if it hadn't been for Sabrina Grimm...

"Fine," Moth hissed. "Have it your way."

She gripped the book harder in her hands, chanting before anyone could stop her.

The book caught fire, burning any counter-spells or possible ways to bring Sabrina back. She knew from what she had witnessed that it would hurt them all. It would hurt Puck the most, but though Titania was temporarily blinded by her love for Oberon, she would soon realize that Puck would never forgive her for the loss of Sabrina. It was the perfect revenge on them--or at least the only one Moth was capable of doing.

Mustardseed's eyes widened when he saw the flames burst forth from the book in her arms.

In an instant Puck's head snapped up. "_No!_" he shouted, lunging for Moth and the book as he realized what she was doing. He didn't know exactly what the book contained, but if Moth were burning it then there was a good chance that something important was inside of it.

Moth dropped the book and ran for the door--though she had no magic, reading from the spell book had been easy and taught her a few tricks. She had no hope of making it out alive, but the door she was running towards was the one Mustardseed was closest to--maybe she could take him out on the way down?

Titania watched her with a bored look, then glanced to her husband and smirked, knowing he would dispose of Moth easily. Oberon extended his arm - and a bolt of green light exploded from his fingertips, arcing through the air and slamming into Moth from behind when she was only a foot from Mustardseed and the door.

The light enveloped her - and when it vanished, there wasn't a trace of the girl left.

Titania shook her head. "Children," she sighed in exasperation. "Pathetic. And how annoying--that was the last spell book we had of its kind."

"The last spell book," Puck repeated. He stared at the charred remains of the book, and then turned to look at Oberon and Titania, his face pale. "Are you serious?"

"It's not like it would have been useful in bringing a mortal back to life," Titania said, glancing to Sabrina with a shrug. The diamond ring on her limp finger glittered from the remains of the green light that had destroyed Moth.

She turned back to Puck. "And she fulfilled her purpose in bringing Oberon back, so I don't care that she and the book were both destroyed. She was simply annoying to the end. That's all."

"You don't get it, do you?" Puck asked - and Mustardseed couldn't help but notice that the cold tone Puck used was _exactly_ the same tone that Oberon had used with Moth. Puck clenched his fists, moving back to Sabrina's side. He reached for her hand, grasping it, and looked at his mother.

"You took the girl I love away from me," he hissed. "I will _never_ forgive you for what you've done."

"You say that now," Titania said, dismissively waving her hand. The bindings that had held Sabrina down were gone now. "But in time, you'll realize this was for the best."

"How can it be for the best?" Puck shouted, his voice filling the room.

Oberon placed his arm around Titania's shoulders. He was prepared to dismiss Puck's words as here ramblings, but the next thing that Puck said took even him off guard.

"I love her," Puck managed, his voice suddenly sounding tight.

"I'm sure you feel strongly for her," Titania said, unfazed. She knew Oberon would probably be feeling shocked--after all, he spent little time around Puck, and knew the least about the boy. But still, she hadn't expected Puck to yell at them both for so long. Especially not at Oberon. She nodded to her guards to release Mustardseed, no longer worried that he would get in the way.

Puck's eyes flashed. "You have no idea how I feel about her," he said angrily. "Neither of you do, if you can just stand there so calmly."

"You have no right to speak to either of us that way, Puck," Oberon said, his tone tinged with anger. He couldn't believe this was _Puck_ speaking this way to the two of them. If Puck had always been like this, Oberon doubted he would have banished him - he'd never seen him so serious about anything before.

Puck looked down at Sabrina, biting back the snarling retort that he wanted to throw in his father's face. He placed his hand against Sabrina's cheek, his eyes glistening with tears that he was trying to hold back. She almost looked like she was just sleeping...

Ignoring his parents, he gathered Sabrina into his arms, pulling her into a sitting position and holding her upper body to his chest. He closed his eyes, pressing his face against her hair.

How could this have happened? He'd promised her that they'd have a peaceful vacation...no danger, no deaths... just the two of them. After everything they had overcome, how could it be ending now? This was only supposed to be the beginning. How could she be gone?

Titania frowned, finally taking into account the way her son cradled the empty mortal shell that had once been Sabrina Grimm. There was no way in her mind that Puck could be in love with Sabrina Grimm the way she loved Oberon. It didn't make sense.

And... There was no way that could be true, because if it was, then she really had just destroyed her son's happiness.

Sabrina was completely unresponsive to Puck, but unlike the time Jeremy and Klarissa had stolen her aura, and her soul, there was nothing Oberon could give back that would bring her back to life. She was simply gone.

"Talk some sense into your brother, Mustardseed," Titania said sharply, her words stinging due to her uneasy feeling. Mustardseed had always been the more mature and reasonable one. At least, he had been in the past...

"Why?" Mustardseed asked quietly. "I think he's making the most sense out of everyone in this room."

He looked at his mother and his father. "I know how badly you wanted Father back, Mother," he said, addressing Titania first, "but what makes you think that the way you love Father is any different from the way Puck feels? I mean, think about it. The terms of that spell were that you had to use a girl who loved one of your sons."

He glanced from Titania to Oberon. "Didn't you think at all that if Sabrina loved Puck enough for the spell to work, that Puck might love her back just as much?"

Oberon was silent for a moment, and he glanced over at Puck. Puck's mouth was moving, but he was speaking too quietly for anyone to hear what he was saying. But the look on his face...it was as if he were apologizing to the girl he held in his arms.

"Puck's grown up," Mustardseed added quietly. "He's not a child anymore."

"How long...has he been aging?" Oberon asked quietly.

"Since almost right after he decided to return to Ferryport Landing instead of staying here in the city," Mustardseed replied.

Titania opened her mouth to say that Puck was a child--that one day he'd understand. That he'd move on and get over the dead girl in his arms.

But before she could get any of the words to come out, she shut her mouth. Her expression turned confused and displeased. She didn't like seeing Puck's pain--and it was clear he was in a _lot _of pain in that moment.

She looked up at Oberon--if even Oberon could believe it, knowing how Oberon felt about--well, everything in general...

Oberon looked down at his wife, and he looked slightly uncomfortable. If Puck had been aging since returning to Ferryport Landing, then it was entirely logical that he had chosen to age himself because of the girl.

Which meant that Puck had willingly given up his eternal childhood for this mortal female.

"I fear that we've underestimated our son," Oberon said quietly to Titania.

Titania looked even more uncomfortable now. If Puck had stuck around long enough--if she had seen him age, she would have explained to him how to give Sabrina a piece of his magic. Technically speaking, it was like splitting his immortality. Very few Fae could pull it off, but Puck was from a strong bloodline. There were ways around letting a mortal age and die, if the mortal was compatible with magic.

Had she thought Puck would seriously fall in love with a mortal, she would have explained him the process. Then again, Sabrina was notoriously addicted to magic, and the chances of her being able to handle the transition to turn Fae were slim. And Puck didn't have the power to take her addiction from her... So all in all, they wouldn't have had forever together.

Still... They would have had a little more time... And given how many years Titania had already had Oberon, the gravity of the situation just made her feel worse. She didn't regret having to kill to bring Oberon back--but her selfish actions had been too hasty, and she was beginning to realize that.

"Mother," Mustardseed said softly, looking at Titania imploringly. "Was that _really _the only book left that could hold a spell that could help?"

"I wasn't even aware that such a book still existed," Oberon said quietly. If Titania said that the book had been the last, he was inclined to believe her.

He looked at Puck and Sabrina. Bringing back the dead...he was powerful, but he didn't have that sort of power in him. Even he hadn't been simply resurrected - Sabrina's life had been exchanged for his.

He tightened his arm around Titania's shoulders, holding her closer.

"The only thing that could have saved her would have been if she had received a piece of Puck's immortality," Titania said, shaking her head. "But with her magic addiction, she wouldn't have been able to handle a transition to become one of us. Puck would not have been able to take her addiction, and so..." She paused, looking to the ring on Sabrina's ring finger. An odd look crossed her face.

Oberon frowned slightly. "What is it, my love?" he asked, following her gaze to the ring on Sabrina's finger. It _was_ quite a lovely and unique ring, but he wasn't sure why hifs wife was staring at it the way that she was.

"I thought that ring broke," Titania said. It had been one of the few things she had noticed around the time Sabrina had died. "But now it's whole."

"Huh?" Mustardseed looked confused. He vaguely recalled hearing the sound of something breaking, but he hadn't noticed what it was at the time.

Finally Puck lifted his head, and stared at his mother. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

"Where did she get that ring?" Titania asked calmly. "It looks like one of Irene's creations."

Puck glanced at the ring, and then back to Titania. "Yeah," he said. "We were at her store - she let us pick out a ring for free. You know, since I _was_ King of Faerie and everything." There was a definite tightness to his voice, and Oberon couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at that.

Titania studied the ring for a moment--and something about it made her eyes widen. Then she looked to Puck. "Did you put that ring on her finger?"

"What, at the store?" Puck frowned. "Yeah. It only fit on one of her fingers, too." He tightened his arms around Sabrina's body - it hurt to think of that moment.

"What are you thinking?" Oberon asked Titania, tilting his head to one side.

Titania chuckled. No wonder Puck had gone from mourning to snapping at them so quickly. "I wasn't aware he had given her a piece of his magic already. No doubt she's been undergoing the transition from mortal to Fae for quite some time--months now. He was never really worried about her," she shook her head.

Puck stared at Titania as if she had just, somehow, gotten even more insane than she already made people think she was.

"What," he said slowly, "the hell are you talking about?"

"Watch your mouth," Titania said coldly. "Especially if you have nothing to worry about. Even now, magic swirls within the ring you gave her, and the protection spells within it will kick in. To think, you had me feeling guilty."

"What magic?" Puck asked, staring at his mother, and then down at Sabrina. "What _protection spells?_"

Oberon couldn't help but chuckle. "It seems he hasn't got a clue what you're talking about, my dear," he said, watching Puck look from Sabrina's face to her ring and back again.

"...I don't think I know, either," Mustardseed said, looking a little dazed now.

"It's impossible to share your immortality with someone on accident, Puck," Titania said in a voice that clearly stated she was getting impatient. "But I don't understand why her addiction hasn't made it harder."

The ring pulsed once.

"Look, Mom," Puck said, sounding agitated and confused all at once, "I really didn't do..." He cut himself off, staring at the pulsing ring. "...."

"Don't be coy," Titania snapped. "Would you like me to explain what that ring is doing?"

It pulsed again--syncing to a heartbeat.

"Explaining would be really good," Puck said, his eyes widening as he stared at the ring and felt its pulse.

"When a strong Fae like yourself splits their immortality, it's a no-take-back situation," Titania said calmly. "Magic means of taking away life don't work the same way on us--especially not when there are protection wards. I had to strip every girl from Faerie who I thought might love Mustardseed of her powers before trying to use her for the spell. I took no such precaution with Sabrina Grimm--I suppose it's a good thing the spell worked anyway. In any case, when you give them a symbol of love while they're undergoing the transformation, it might store types of protection spells, built on promises or emotions made and experienced while in close proximity of the giver and receiver. Meaning the ring will most likely revive her because you have split your immortality with her. It's not something one does... More than once."

Her eyes flickered to Sabrina. "And it must have been you who did it--the magic is identical to your own. And strong--it must be the same magic you used to allow yourself to leave the barrier. What I want to know, is how you stifled her addiction so well," Titania trailed off thoughtfully.

"......." Puck's eyes were slowly widening. "I don't believe it," he said. "That crazy bastard... he didn't say a word!" He couldn't stop the grin from breaking out on his face as he realized just precisely who it had been who had split their magic with Sabrina the way that Titania had just described.

"Who's the crazy one?" Mustardseed couldn't help but ask, staring at his brother.

Titania blinked. "Puck? Dear? Are you quite sane?" she couldn't help but ask.

"Doesn't look that way to me," Oberon muttered under his breath.

Puck couldn't stop grinning. "Oh, I'm sane," he said, looking down at Sabrina. "So how long is this supposed to take to work?"

"It depends," Titania shrugged. "But it shouldn't be long now.

Puck looked back at Sabrina, kissing her forehead and hugging her close. The horror and guilt, and most of all pain of losing her, were all gone now. Knowing what his future self had done for them both, and that Sabrina would be immortal like him… It was a good feeling.

***.*.*.*.***

_Everything felt cold._

_There was no pain, and no discomfort—but it was cold, almost numbing. She had no idea where she was, or how she'd gotten there._

_"Where am I?" she murmured._

_"He broke his promise."_

_"Huh?" She raised her head to look, but no one answered._

_A warm, tingling feeling spread over her, holding her in comfort. It felt like magic, but without the desperate need to have more to keep her safe. It felt… Almost like the time a very nice looking man had kissed her. Without the confusion._

_"You don't want more pain," the soothing voice came back, nuzzling against her ear a little. "Don't worry. When you wake up, it won't hurt anymore. No more broken promises, no more broken hearts."_

_Well, that sounded like a good idea to her. She huddled in the warmth, seeing a sparkling set of pink wings coming towards her, embracing her. Live without broken promises and without heartbreak? Okay. That sounded… Well, wonderful._

_She opened her eyes, finding herself in a room full of strangers. The warmth kept her from panicking, protecting her from the memories that might end up causing her pain._

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

Sabrina's eyes fluttered open very slowly, her breathing even as she tried to figure out where she was and what was going on. She felt stiff and uncomfortable, with no real explanation as to why.

Titania smirked in triumph, glad that things had more or less fluked their way into an acceptable scenario--but the smirk faded when Sabrina Grimm looked right up at her eldest son and asked a question that made most everyone feel a little uneasy.

"Um...Who are you, and where am I?"

Good feeling gone. Puck stared at Sabrina in shock. He'd expected something different. He'd expected her to smile at him, to ask him what had taken him so long, or to throw her arms around him and kiss him - he liked that scenario in particular.

He hadn't expected her to look at him like he was a complete stranger.

"Sabrina?" Puck asked in confusion.

"How do you know my name?" She asked in confusion. She looked around the room and frowned at everyone. "What's going on in here? Where are my parents?"

Mustardseed looked at Puck with a silent 'You better calm her down' look.

"Your parents are back home - in Ferryport Landing," Puck said hurriedly. "You came to New York with me... we're on vacation."

"Ferryport...What?" Sabrina pulled away, confused to be tenderly embraced by him. "Look, I don't know who you think you are, but if you don't let me out of here right now, I'm calling the cops."

"Oh my," Titania looked amused again, though still a little wary. "It seems she has no memory of any of us."

***.*.*.*.***

**A/N:**

**Sky: Bwahahaha cliffhanger! Ish. But yes. Sabrina has amnesia. MWAHAHAHAHA.**

**Okay so, THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL THE REVIEWERS SINCE CHAPTER THIRTY (**And sorry it's going to be another week before we post another chapter. Hang in there with us guys, we love you!):** amethystdolphin, Dramaqueenruling, RainbowofSmiles16, Harmony352, fangfan5, Trickster Queen464, Sabrina Grimm, Lilyflower-314, ILoveGeorgeCooper, chemicalsilver, msjezzi-bella, curlscat, Lumiere Nordiques, Elena Forest, Blue-Eyed-Lily, gothicgall000, Grrrgirl1, grimmgirl, SweeneyToddLover26, Lyla Domae, DragonFly7312, iD Sisters Grimm iD, Laterose, emerald and onyx, BookLoverXgoogle, Amy, Viva-Musica, silent-entrance, Lara D, A CertainPeantuButterSandwich, HI, oneofyourbiggestfansLR, Tanglenight, KittyPryde90, exohh13, **and **–flying-dreaming-dancing-! ^^**

And since you guys like the fun facts, I have some more for ya :D

**Fun Fact #24364: **I don't keep track of my numbers for the fun facts XD

**Fun Fact #756: **Glamour is really just a Faerie thing in general as far as I know. Or rather, magical dudes use it to appear human all the time in literature—I have not read Wicked Lovely XD But I'm sure they use it too, since it's a book about Fae.

**Fun Fact #8: **In the original version of this chapter, we killed Moth much faster.

**Fun Fact #97646798674532: **Yes, it was Future Puck who split his magic/immortality with Sabrina to start converting her. No, she does not realize this. Yes, she has lost most of her magic addiction.

**Fun Fact #16: **Ayns and I really do like Oberon and Titania. If you ever watch "The Gathering" episodes of the cartoon "Gargoyles", you'll see why X3

**Fun Fact #968: **I'm engaged, not married yet. But I'm going to go see him soon, so YAY! In any case, if you want to see the wedding ring, I have the pic up on my facebook, but I can photobucket link it for people. ^^

**Fun Fact #999: **Ayns tried to slip 'Cheesecake' into the title again.

Luvvies! R/R please, we could use some love.

P.S. Fixed the typos that got pointed out. Thank you, Lyla Domae :3 And yes everyone, I will eventually go fix the vertical issue with the treebed back in like... chapter 17. When I get to it XD

P.S.S.... For some reason, Chapter 31 got lost for a while. Trying to get it fixed completely, hopefully it's back up now.


	32. Innocence

**EDIT: Sky: Re-Added scene skips.**

**A/N: **

**Sky: **Sorry you guys XD We say a week, but it ends up being a few hours over a week. We keep updating REALLY EARLY on Sunday morning. This time it was because not only were we busy as hell (you do not even want to KNOW the day I had! XD) but we hung out in person for several hours, just chatting and doing hair. So we slacked off a bit :X

**Ayns: **Sky put pretty shinies in my hair! Wheeeee.

In case you can't tell, I'm sleepy and without caffeine. And I've been watching anime. It's fun.

Some of you have contacted me via my DeviantArt page - I just wanted to let you know that I am working on SG art, and I'm sure either Sky or I, or both, will let you know when it starts going up. In the mean time if you have a DA account, drop me a line there so I know who you are!

**Sky: **Meanwhile, my DA page is um… Okay I have a pic of my wedding ring (not married yet :P) up, and I have a lot of stuff fave'd. But beware, my faves are… odd. And many are NSFW, IE rated T+ all the way to M.

Anyway, yes we know Puck and Sabrina are a soap opera. We don't care XD **Also what the crap is going on with people getting worried about discontinuation due to lack of reviews? We would never pull that—so please don't e-mail us all frantic-like. **For one thing, we're getting a CRAPLOAD of reviews (which makes us superSQUEEhappy!) and for another, that would never keep us from writing. Ever. It'd only slow us down in posting if we suddenly slowed to like… No reviews. But any time I read a story that got discontinued after I reviewed because not enough people reviewed, it felt like a kick in the face.** So don't worry about Ayns and I, _please. _And stop spamming our e-mail. XD Thanks.**

**Ayns: **And just in case anyone's been to my other page and that was worrying them... I didn't discontinue those because of reviews! I swear! I discontinued those because I was trying to write six epics at a time and getting one chapter (between the six of them) out every six months. Not the best way to write. ::points:: Sky keeps me on a schedule.

Of course if no one was worrying because of that then I feel a little silly typing that but um, it's 3 am in the morning and I'm rambling. ^^ Sky, stop me.

**Sky: Stopping you. Storytiem nao!**

Enjoy!

***.*.*.*.***

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter Thirty-Two: Innocence_**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

"So let me get this straight," Puck said slowly. "You don't know who I am. You don't know who my parents are, or my brother. You don't know where Ferryport Landing is, and you don't remember how you got here. Right?"

He stared at her, waiting for her answer. He couldn't believe this was happening. After everything they'd been through…personality changes, soul stealing, insane future selves…now _amnesia_? And they had finally gotten the chance to spend some time together, as a real couple, without worrying about the psycho Everafter world popping up its head!

This could _not_ be happening…except that it was!

Sabrina stared at him, her large eyes defensive, but not as mistrustful as they usually would have been. "All I know is that this is a strange place, you're all strange people, and I need to go home and find my parents and little sister."

She moved to back away from him, clumsily regaining her footing.

"Sabrina, listen to me," Puck said, looking at her anxiously. "You and I came here to New York together on vacation. Really, it's okay, we're supposed to be here."

"You're insane," she said, shaking her head and backing away. "I've never met you before in my life--and there's no way my daddy would let me go on a trip anywhere with a strange boy. Did you kidnap me?"

"Kidnap you?" Puck blinked—the idea was foreign to him, and he'd never heard her refer to Henry as 'daddy' before. At least not that he could recall. He shook his head. "No, I didn't kidnap you - I know! You can call your parents and they'll tell you the same thing I just told you."

"Yeah freaking right!"

Sabrina bolted for the door, long blonde hair flying behind her. Oberon raised an eyebrow, looking rather amused at the hard time that Puck was having.

Puck rushed after her, catching her arm and stopping her. "Wait!" he said. "Sabrina, just wait a second."

His hand snapped up suddenly, blocking the punch that she threw his way the moment that he grabbed her arm. He didn't even flinch - he'd been expecting it.

Sabrina's eyes went a little wide at how easily he stopped her punch, her hand warm and tingly in his. She looked at him with uncertainty, then quickly yanked her hand back, a worried look on her face.

"Oh, they'll be fine," Titania shrugged, grinning.

Puck looked at Sabrina, and lowered his hand slowly. "You used to get those by me," he said, "but we've known each other too long now."

"Look... You're freaking me out, and I don't know what's going on. But I'm sure I'd remember you if I actually knew you!" Sabrina insisted. "But I _don't _know you. Nothing is familiar--nothing at all."

Puck frowned slightly. "Not even a little?" he asked. "I'm not even a little familiar, even if you can't place where you know me from?"

"No," Sabrina said, shaking her head. "I promise you, I don't recognize you."

He looked at her searchingly. Promise... her words made him recall another promise, one that they'd always kept between each other.

Their promise that they'd love each other no matter what.

_'It's worth a shot_,' Puck told himself. After all, if the promise kept them together through that heartless future... it had to work through amnesia, right?

He looked straight into her eyes. "I love you, Sabrina," he said, coming right out with it - no lead ups, nothing else after. Just straight, abrupt, and truthful.

She rolled her eyes and moved to walk away. She opened her mouth to say 'weirdo, I don't even know you', but what came out was "I love you too, no matter what."

She paused mid-step, confused by her own words.

Mustardseed gave them both an odd look.

A slow grin spread across Puck's face, his eyes shining a touch. "So even if you don't remember anything else, you remember that."

"This is creeping me out," Sabrina whispered, hugging herself. "Why would I even say that? I don't know you..."

"You do know me, though," Puck said. He brushed back his hair, a few locks falling over his forehead. "You might not remember right now, but you're my girlfriend."

"Not listening," she shook her head, clamping her hands over her ears. "This is _insane."_

Puck had to draw on his patience - he didn't want to get frustrated, this wasn't her fault. '_Maybe starting with the girlfriend tactic wasn't a good idea,_' he realized.

"Never mind that part," he said, getting to feeling that if he tried to convince her about being his girlfriend, she'd just deny it and stop listening completely. "I know this is weirding you out, Sabrina...but I really do want to help you. I want you to trust me."

"Why should I trust you?" Sabrina demanded. "This is really suspicious, and I _don't _know you!"

"I know you don't," Puck said, shoving down the part of him that wanting to argue that fact. "But what are your instincts telling you?"

"Not to trust strangers if no one I trusts vouches for them," she said, scowling at him. "I'm warning you, stay back!"

She glanced to the door again, judging whether or not she could make it there without being grabbed.

"Okay wait," Puck didn't grab her this time, holding both hands up where she could see them. "Maybe you don't know or remember me right now, but you at least remembered a promise we made--you said you loved me. And you don't know why, right?"

When she shook her head slowly, he hurried to keep talking. "So just trust me on this for now, and we'll go find your parents. If you still don't believe me when we get to Ferryport Landing, I won't bother you again."

Sabrina paused at his logic, looking uncertain. Truthfully, she _didn't _know why she had responded the way she had. She didn't go around telling strangers she loved them. Therefore, _something _had to be going on...

Her eyes flickered to Titania and Oberon, then Mustardseed. Finally, she looked back at Puck. If they wanted to hurt her, she wouldn't be able to do much anyway.

"Alright, fine," she sighed, crossing her arms over her chest.

Puck let out the breath that he'd been holding, feeling a rush of relief. It'd been a gamble, but she wasn't going to run now. "You probably want to go find them right away, don't you?" he asked. They had the credit cards for emergencies - and the condo was locked up, so leaving their stuff there wouldn't be a problem.

Sabrina nodded. "And my sister Daphne."

"Right," Puck said in agreement.

He took a step towards the door, and then paused to look at his father. "Oh, yeah - and just for the record, I really don't give a damn about being the King of Faerie. So you can have your crown back, old man - I'm outta here."

Oberon gave a visible twitch at Puck's words - primarily the part about being called an 'old man'. If there was one thing Oberon didn't look, it was old.

Titania chuckled, amused again. After all, Puck didn't hate her, the girl he loved wasn't dead, she had her husband, and Moth had finally been properly punished. "Take care, Puck. And please, do visit more often than this. I promise not to harm your girlfriend next time."

She was of course, assuming Oberon had figured out that Puck had basically un-banished himself when he'd been King, and she didn't expect her husband to banish the boy again.

"We'll see," Puck said, moving to open the door for Sabrina - he wasn't going to make promises, his parents still drove him insane and now his father was alive again.

Oberon scowled. Titania was right in thinking that he wouldn't banish Puck again, but that didn't mean his son wasn't going to infuriate him.

Sabrina glanced at Mustardseed as they were leaving--he'd been pretty silent.

"Hey," Mustardseed said suddenly, causing Puck to pause and look at him. "Keep in touch, okay, Puck? Seriously. More than just a random letter here and there."

Puck hesitated, and then gave a slight nod. "I'll give it a shot," he said. Mustardseed didn't drive him nearly as nuts as his parents did.

Sabrina glanced back at Puck--she was noticing the family resemblances between them all. What the _crap _had happened?

Puck caught the glance. "I'll tell you a bit on the train, okay?" he offered. Though he'd probably leave out the whole 'my dad was dead and my mom killed you to resurrect him'.

"Sure," Sabrina shrugged. She glanced down at herself. "...I look like I just got out of bed," she muttered.

Puck paused. "If you want to change," he said, "there are clothes back at the condo we were staying in. We can stop there before going to the train station."

"I think that'd be good," Sabrina said. "Any shoes I can use to get to whatever condo you're talking about? I don't want to hurt myself going barefoot around a city."

"...I hadn't thought about that." Puck hesitated. There were always his wings but...no way was she ready for him to fly her.

Oh. Duh.

He moved closer to her, and then promptly picked her up - he didn't bother asking, she'd probably say no if he asked. "I'll carry you," he declared.

Sabrina yelped, her cheeks flushing at the gesture. "I can still walk, ya know."

She didn't try to get down though. She liked it a little. Okay a lot. "Anyway, what's your name?"

"Puck," Puck replied promptly, carrying her out of the room since she wasn't trying to get down and he couldn't think of any reason to hang around further. "No last name - really."

"How can you not have a last name?" she argued. "Everyone has a last name."

"Not me, my parents never came up with one," Puck replied. "Sometimes people call me Robin Goodfellow though...but you can just go with Puck."

"Puck," she repeated. Then she shrugged. "Sure, why not."

Puck grinned. "Awesome," he said. "So, anything else you want to know right now, or do you want to save the questions for later?"

"Later," she decided, leaning her head on his shoulder. Though she had tried to punch him earlier, and she had tried to run away, she was decidedly more trustful than she'd ever been around him.

Puck couldn't help but notice the difference, his eyes on her as they walked. "So how about your relatives?" he asked. He was curious to know what she remembered and didn't.

"What about them?" Sabrina asked. "How many do I have? My mom, my dad, and my little sister Daphne. That's it. You had your mom, dad, and brother, right?"

So she didn't remember Cory at all. Puck nodded slightly. "Yeah," he said. "Just the four of us - I'm the older one."

Then something else occurred to him. She hadn't said anything about extended family... she hadn't mentioned Relda, or Jake. She only knew the family she'd had from before Ferryport Landing.

"You look like the older one," she agreed. "Well, sorta. I guess I wouldn't be sure, but you look close in age."

"A lot of people mistake me for younger - they say my brother's more mature," Puck said with a grin. "They're usually right."

Sabrina blushed again, studying his face. Then she glanced away. "Maturity is overrated."

That only made Puck's grin widen. "You really think so?"

"Yeah," Sabrina replied. "It's no fun being mature all the time."

"I tell that to a lot of people...no one seems to agree," Puck said with a shake of his head.

She didn't answer that, though she did smile a little. By the time they reached the condo, she'd fallen asleep in his arms, completely trusting him even though he was a stranger. Whether or not it was instinct, or just her character before all of the betrayals she'd faced, was uncertain.

When Puck carried Sabrina into the condo he was faced with a dilemma. Pack up their things and put them both on a train while she slept - or let her get some rest.

He opted for rest. It'd give him time to pack up some stuff, anyway. He carried her into the bedroom and laid her down, trying not to wake her up.

***.*.*.*.***

_'Hey. Are you awake?'_

_'I hope not if I'm hearing voices. I don't want to be a crazy person.'_

_'Hah. You're not crazy. I'm just your reasonable side. Remember? You wanted the pain to go away, and I took it.'_

_'Oh…'_

_Sabrina sat up, looking around. She didn't recognize the place she was in. Then again, she also remembered she had amnesia, so it was plausible that she just didn't remember a familiar spot._

_But the room was dark and cold, surrounded by doors._

_'So what is this place?' She asked, knowing her own voice would be answering. It was the same voice that had made her feel happy before._

_'Well, look around.'_

_Shrugging, she stood and headed to one of the doors, opening it. She could only make out the shadows of the people inside, laughing and tossing someone around. The smell of roasted turkey wafted through the entrance, making her nostalgic. 'Who are those people?'_

_No one answered._

_'Weird…'_

_Sabrina shut the door, moving to the next and opening it. Inside, she saw a horrible creature ripping something off of another shadowy human. It was frightening, and she slammed the door shut._

_'What is all of this?' She whispered._

_'It's what I took away to keep you safe and happy.'_

_'Oh…' Sabrina shivered and looked to the labels above the doors—some had dates, some had holidays, some had simple words used to explain what might be inside._

_Christmas._

_Ms. Smirt._

_Rumpelstiltskin._

_First Kiss._

_Better Kiss._

_Hospital._

_Waking Parents._

_Heartless._

_Wolf._

_Ring._

_Tree House._

_She hesitated, opening the door to 'first kiss'. Inside, the silhouette of a girl was being kissed off guard by a… flying boy?_

_And what was surrounding them? Were they monkeys? Lighting fireworks?_

_She shut the door. 'Too freaking weird.'_

_She walked back to the center of the room, hugging herself. That was when the other door caught her eye._

_Turning to it fully, Sabrina found herself frowning in confusion._

_The Master._

_'Master of what…?' She asked out loud, walking towards it._

_'WAIT!'_

_She jumped at the shout in her head, hand going to her heart. 'Are you trying to kill me?'_

_'You're not ready for the answer. But deep in your heart, I think you've known it all along.'_

_Sabrina frowned. 'I don't even know what the Master is.'_

_She walked over to the door stubbornly, pulling it open. And she stared in confusion at her own reflection._

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

Sabrina shifted awake groggily, confused by her dream and wiping at her eyes. She blinked into full alertness when she realized she was being carried again, but this time out of a taxi. She'd apparently slept through the walk to the condo, a train ride, and a taxi ride. She was glad to note that she hadn't had her clothes changed by Puck during any of that, though he had put socks and shoes on her.

"Where are we?" she asked groggily, shifting to get down. They were right in front of the Grimm house. Puck had called ahead of time, letting them know something was wrong with Sabrina, and he was bringing her home. He hadn't elaborated on what--but it was enough to make Jake and Briar come by.

Puck looked at her, and then glanced at the house. "This is where your parents are," Puck explained, opting not to declare that it was her home - if she didn't remember Relda, she wouldn't remember this house, and she'd probably deny it. "I called ahead - they should be waiting."

"Okay," Sabrina said, looking to the bags he had pulled out of the trunk of the cab with one hand, one at a time. "You want me to get some of those?"

"Nah," Puck said with a shake of his head. "I can handle them, don't worry about it." He flashed her a grin, his expression rather boyish.

Sabrina felt herself blush again, and she quickly walked up to the door. She found it silly to knock if her parents were inside, so she simply opened the door and went in.

***.*.*.*.***

Kerdy put his hand on Daphne's shoulder when the door opened. For the past week or so, he'd spent almost all of his time at the Grimm house again, hanging out with Daphne. Mainly he had been trying to convince her that the name 'Kerdy' was horrible, to dissuade her from using 'Kerdy Jr.' if they ended up together. It was backfiring a little—she seemed to think it meant he felt bad about others not liking his name, and therefore tried to cheer him up by talking about how much she loved it. Kerdy didn't quite realize he was pushing her into unleashing that name on another person, rather than discouraging her from it.

He had yet to work up the courage to actually tell her how he felt--but they were getting closer in age, and he had been planning it out for the perfect moment...

And then Sabrina got in trouble again, and he had hit his head on the wall for about twenty minutes.

Now, he was left with a headache and an uneasy feeling of worry while Cory tried to find the cookie he'd had hidden in his pockets, sitting on the couch with the rest of the Grimms.

"CWOOKEH!" Cory exclaimed triumphantly, pulling the chocolate chip delight from his pocket and trying to fit the whole thing in his mouth. It had kept him occupied for thirty minutes of baby-mystery-solving.

"Eep," Daphne said, watching her brother. "Little bites, Cory... remember? Little bites." She pretended to eat her finger, taking small bites, as an example. She hadn't heard the door open, though Kerdy's hand had made her blush a little - she'd been distracted by worry over her baby brother choking on cookie.

Cory looked at Daphne for several minutes, then withdrew his cookie and tried his finger instead. "Nom?" It wasn't nearly as delicious as the cookie, making his brow furrow.

Daphne giggled. "Oh, Cory," she said. "Little bites with the _cookie_."

Then she paused and looked over towards the door, realizing that it had opened, and that Sabrina had come inside. Her stomach had been in knots, but she'd been trying not to think too hard about what might be wrong with her sister.

Sabrina glanced at them as she walked in, confusion marring her features. "Mom... Dad? Who are all these people?"

Veronica stared at her. Then she closed her mouth, which had fallen open. "Your grandmother Relda, her friend Mr. Canis and his adopted daughter Red, and then your Uncle Jake and Aunt Briar..." she hesitated when she looked to Kerdy, Daphne, and Cory.

Sabrina cocked her head to the side. "How long have I been in New York without you guys? Daphne looks way older than I remember. And I thought we didn't have relatives..." She frowned a little, then shrugged, taking it much easier than Jake would have thought.

Daphne stared at Sabrina, startled.

Puck came up behind Sabrina with the suitcases in hand, standing in the doorway and meeting Henry's gaze over her shoulder.

He didn't need to explain for Henry to understand.

"What's the last thing that you recall, sweetheart?" Henry asked as Relda looked anxious and Briar cast a worried look at Jake.

Sabrina frowned a little. "The last thing I remember?" she asked. "Well, Daphne and I were waiting for you to come home..." She rubbed her eyes. "It gets a little fuzzy after that. Puck here says I have amnesia. Something about us dating and stuff."

"Well," Veronica said patiently, thinking quickly. "We moved to Ferryport Landing to be closer to Henry's family--he'd lost touch with them, but we found each other through Facebook online."

Sabrina cocked her head to the side. That made sense... "But why was I in New York, alone with a boy?"

"You've been going to a summer school program in New York, and since we've been busy with... your baby brother Cory, Puck offered to go with you. You know how we don't like you being in the city alone."

"Oh," Sabrina bit her lip. "I have a brother now?"

Daphne nodded, standing up from the couch and looked at Sabrina anxiously. "Cory," she said with a smile. '_Amnesia? What in the world happened that gave Sabrina amnesia?'_

"Is he eating his own hand?" Sabrina asked, blinking in confusion.

"Oh uh... Cory, have a cookie," Kerdy said.

"Cookweh!" Cory gasped, having forgot the cookie. He smiled. "Sabwina, cookweh!" he held it up to confirm, then put the whole thing in his mouth again.

Kerdy smiled. Cory had gotten better at names, but Sabrina wouldn't know that...

"Oh..." Sabrina bit her lip. "Hi Cory."

She glanced at the other strange faces. Kerdy hadn't been introduced, and Red was kind of hovering beside Mr. Canis, as if she didn't fit in.

"Oh!" Daphne said suddenly, noticing the glances that Sabrina was giving everyone. She hurried over to Mr. Canis and Red, and smiled at the other girl. "This is Mr. Canis, he's a friend of the family," she said brightly, "and this is Red, she lives here with us and she's part of the family, too."

Then she hurried back to the couch, sitting back down next to Kerdy. "And this is Kerdy." She blushed brightly, looking a little shy - she wasn't sure _how_ to introduce him.

"Okay--mom already told me about them, I just had to guess and stuff," Sabrina said awkwardly. "Kerdy, huh?" She looked at Daphne's blush, at Kerdy's, then cocked her head to the side. "Is he your boyfriend, Daphne?"

Kerdy felt himself go lightheaded at how fast his cheeks got darker. Veronica and Jake, meanwhile, shared a silent giggle-fest with their eyes, both amused at the assumption and the fact that Sabrina apparently had no initial attraction to Kerdy. She had when she'd first met him before.

Behind Sabrina, Puck couldn't help but grin - and it was on the tip of his tongue to tease Kerdy and Daphne.

Daphne's cheeks slowly turned red. "Boyfriend?" she squeaked.

"Uh...." Kerdy swallowed. "Yep. I'm her boyfriend. Here, take Cory, sweetie," he said to Daphne. "I'll be right back." _'I need to go drown myself.'_

Daphne took Cory, but she'd gone still and her eyes had widened into round saucers. Kerdy had just...said...he was...her boyfriend.

Her brain stopped working.

Sabrina shrugged. "Well, nice to meet you, 'Daphne's boyfriend' Kerdy," she called as he left the room.

Henry visibly twitched. Unfortunately Daphne was older and she and Kerdy were closer in age now...he was having a much harder time finding objections to Kerdy's interest in his little girl.

_'How cute. He called her 'sweetie',' _Veronica thought with a giggle.

"Anyway," Jake said. "There are any number of reasons you could have amnesia. What happened when you woke up?"

"Well," Sabrina moved to sit down. "I was on a table, and Puck's whole family was there. His dad was pretty quiet, but his mom seemed to find it all funny."

"...What?" Veronica asked politely. "Run that by me again?"

"Yeah...you remember my dad, right?" Puck asked hastily, setting down the suitcases. "He's never been much of a talker." Especially considering the fact that he'd been, well, dead. Very much dead.

He stared at Veronica. He didn't want to explain to Sabrina that his father had been resurrected. He didn't want to freak her out.

"...I see," Veronica said. "Well it's possible they were surprising Puck for his birthday and you fell and hit your head."

"I didn't see any cake," Sabrina said in confusion.

"Puck hates cake," Veronica's tone was a little too sweet. "He never eats it. Ever. Any kind of sweets make him sick--so he doesn't get to have any."

"Oh," Sabrina said, figuring it sounded reasonable.

Puck's eyes widened, and he was staring at Veronica with a slightly open mouth. '_Damn you, woman!_' he thought in frustration. He _loved_ sweets!

Relda smiled. "Yes, we often have to find him substitutes while the rest of us have dessert," she said, and Puck found himself twitching now.

"It's a good thing we let him eat at all," Veronica said in a warning tone. If Oberon and Titania were behind Sabrina's amnesia, she was holding him responsible. Completely.

"Must suck," Sabrina commented, looking at Puck. She glanced back at Relda, Mr. Canis, and Red. "So... Hi," she said in a friendly manner.

Red jumped a bit. Then she smiled back. "Hi."

She hadn't expected Sabrina to like her at all--but it seemed like Sabrina was liking her easier than before.

Puck's expression faltered at Veronica's warning look... and from the way he glanced away, it seemed that he was already holding himself responsible, at least in part.

Relda smiled softly at Sabrina, watching the way she warmed up to Red so suddenly. "Are you hungry, Sabrina?" she asked. "I imagine there wasn't much food on the train."

"Yeah," Sabrina nodded. "I am pretty hungry. Thanks Grandma--sorry I don't remember you."

"I'll show you where your room is--Daphne will too, once she stops blushing long enough to remember to _breathe, Daphne!" _Red yelped, worried at the end.

"Eep!" Daphne squeaked, her eyes widening a little as she took in a huge gulp of air. She blushed furiously. "Thanks, Red."

"It's all right, sweetheart, I'll just get something started for you," Relda said. And she'd make something normal, too.

"I'll take Cory," Jake offered. "Daphne's discovering hormones."

"Jake," Veronica groaned.

"Sorrysorry," Jake said in a hurry, grinning like a little kid and plucking Cory from Daphne. He then handed the baby to Briar, knowing that the love of his life had been in a bit of a baby-mode. Her eyes would shine and she'd practically sparkle around the babies. It made him a little wary that maybe she was ready for a family, because he wasn't ready to share her yet.

Henry shot Jake a glare. He didn't take kindly to the reminder.

Briar's eyes lit up as she took Cory and cuddled him. "Hi, Cory," she said with a smile, kissing the top of the little boy's head.

Still blushing furiously, Daphne hurried over to Sabrina and grabbed her hand. "Come on," she said, tugging her towards the stairs.

Cory giggled and pat Briar's cheeks with both hands, cookie still in his mouth. "Mmm^^Bwiah."

Sabrina watched them with an odd look, before letting Red and Daphne drag her up the stairs.

When she was gone, Veronica looked at Puck, expression serious. "Tell us everything. Mr. Canis, you can tell Relda afterwards, okay?"

Mr. Canis nodded in agreement to Veronica, and then turned to look at Puck.

Puck sighed, moving to sit down on the couch. "Okay," he said. "Most of the vacation was going great... until my mom decided to ruin everything and kidnap Sabrina."

Henry narrowed his eyes. "Kidnap?" he demanded.

"Yeah," Puck said with a nod. "I was shopping...when I came back, she was gone. I had to use the bracelets to track her."

"Why would your mom kidnap Sabrina?" Jake asked, patting Cory on the head. Briar was off in her own little world, apparently.

Briar blushed a little when she realized she'd missed what Puck had said - Cory had distracted her enough that she didn't realize it until Jake had pat his head. She quickly turned her attention back to the conversation.

Puck scowled. "Apparently," he said, "Mom got her hands on a spell to bring Dad back. And one of the requirements was a girl who was in love with a member of Dad's bloodline - apparently she's been trying to get a ton of girls to fall in love with Mustardseed but it hasn't worked. So when she heard Sabrina was in town..."

"She seized an opportunity," Henry said, anger lighting his tone.

"Yeah," Puck said. His scowl softened, replaced by a pained expression. "I was too late to stop it when I got there."

"What did the spell do?" Veronica asked, looking at Puck with a mix of concern, anger, and uncertainty. "And how did she get her hands on such a spell? I thought most of the spell books were destroyed over the years..."

"Let me guess," Jake said. "Sabrina died? Or something close to it?"

"...yes," Puck said quietly, bracing himself for Henry to explode.

To his credit, Henry didn't. He clenched his fists and tensed, but he didn't say anything, waiting for Puck to continue.

"The spell came from a book Moth had - and I didn't know until then that Moth was even still around," Puck said. "To bring my father back, Sabrina had to die... when I got there, I... she was already..." He cut himself off for a moment, taking a deep breath. He had to remind himself that Sabrina _wasn't_ dead - but he could still remember holding her body in his arms.

"Hm..." Jake stood back up, having been ready to cuddle Briar moments earlier. "Sabrina's amnesia didn't come from the spell though, did it? Since I assume the spell backfired in some way or went wrong--or someone interfered."

"Oh, yeah, someone interfered," Puck said with a nod. He looked at all of them. "I did. Well, Future Puck. Apparently before he vanished, he went and split his power with Sabrina, and the spell couldn't kill her. He also took away her magic addiction, or something like that."

"Huh?" Veronica asked.

"You mean Sabrina's turning into--well, one of you?" Jake yelped. "Well... I guess that makes sense..."

"Wait what?" Veronica turned to him.

"It's a Fae thing, Ronnie," Jake said, ignoring the glare that meant 'don't call me Ronnie, damn it'. "Strong ones can split their magic with mortals to make them become immortal. You think Puck is the first guy who fell in love with a mortal chick? Did you ever watch Labyrinth?"

"They didn't get together in the movie but that's not the point," Veronica said, staring at him. "Do you mean Sabrina is going to be, or already is an Everafter?"

"Yes," Jake said simply.

"...What?" Henry asked, staring.

"Oh, wow," Briar said, her eyes widening as this sank in with her. "That's so romantic!"

Her blatant phrasing turned Puck's cheeks red. "I guess," he said. "I mean, I guess that's what she's going to become. So, yeah, Sabrina came back to life - but when she opened her eyes, she had no idea who I was."

"Well she's got magic in her," Jake said. "I'm guessing Titania didn't adjust the spell for that. And probably because of the magic, a counter spell triggered to save her or something. Is there any reason she might have accidentally given _herself _amnesia?"

"..." Veronica bit her lip. "Well, she probably thought about not getting her car because she almost got killed... That could be a factor..."

"And I promised her that our vacation would be stress free and nothing would happen to her," Puck muttered, looking angry. "Wishful thinking, I guess. I never thought my mother was crazy enough to pull a stunt like this."

"Coulda been that," Jake acknowledged. "Either way, if she's becoming an Everafter, AND probably oblivious... She might have done it to herself. Which is kinda a good thing--it means we'll be able to fix it without needing to do anything drastic."

"Really?" Puck perked up at that.

Henry turned to his brother. "But how do we figure out what to do to fix it?" he asked. If it was something Sabrina did to herself, how would they know what exactly she did?

"My guess is that she didn't feel safe," Jake said, stroking his chin as though he had a goatee. He usually did it to make Briar laugh, while giving her a look that said 'I also respond to, Hey sexy'. "Or the broken promise triggered her worry that everyone's going to betray her. She probably just locked up all of the memories of unhappy times, and took the happy times with it. Which would be why she doesn't remember Hank and Veronica being kidnapped either."

"So we make her comfortable enough, and she might get her memories back?" Veronica asked in relief.

"Yep. Hopefully."

Briar blushed a touch and smiled at Jake, though her concern for Sabrina stayed in her eyes.

Henry nodded slowly. "We should probably keep all references to Everafters quiet for the time being," he said. "She won't remember anything about them - and I don't want to alarm her."

"Good idea," Jake said, nodding.

Cory looked around, having finished his cookie. he was now ready to see people in the real world again. "Sabwina?" he asked.

"She's not feeling well right now, honey," Veronica said. "What about Auntie Briar?"

"! Bwiah!" Cory turned his attention back to Briar and gave her kisses.

Briar immediately set to work with capturing and keeping Cory's attention, kissing him back and cuddling him and going back into her own little baby-world.

Puck took a deep breath. "So just...make her comfortable?" he asked. "You think that'll do it?"

"Were there any other details from her death that might be important?" Jake asked seriously. After all, magic was his department.

"Well, there was one thing that was weird," Puck replied. "See, I got her this ring while we were there, and it fell off when she died." He frowned. "But then it somehow got back on her finger."

"Great..." Jake sighed. "The spell's in the ring then."

"So if we take her ring off, will that help?" Veronica asked.

"Maybe, maybe not," Jake shrugged. "But the ring is important."

"I don't think we should touch the ring until we have a better idea of how it's connected," Mr. Canis said, speaking up for the first time since the start of the discussion.

"Freaking magic," Veronica groaned. She sighed warily. "I'm still getting Sabrina a car. It's not like it's her fault she gets into danger. I was just hoping she'd be more careful in dangerous situations... But none of it helped at all."

Puck looked at Veronica. "I'm sorry," he said, and he really was sincere in the apology. "I didn't want her getting in danger anymore either."

She sighed again. "Don't apologize. I know you didn't want her in danger. I'm giving Titania an earful when I see her though."

"She probably won't listen," Henry said with a shake of his head. He took a deep breath. "But the important thing is that Sabrina is mostly okay. We'll deal with the amnesia. "

Veronica reached for his hand and squeezed it. "How can you be handling this better than me?" she whispered.

Henry pulled Veronica into his arms, holding her close. "I'm not," he murmured to her, kissing her forehead. "I'm just trying very hard to cover it up."

"Well last time an Everafter that wasn't our daughter tried to kill someone and-or-succeeded, you freaked out big time. Now I'm freaking out."

Henry cupped the back of Veronica's head. "Believe me, I plan on joining you when it comes to Titania," he murmured. "But Sabrina _is_ safe right now. I'm just thankful for that."

"That old bitch," Veronica sighed, closing her eyes and trying to keep her voice quiet. Cory was in his stage of learning where he liked to echo words.

"I agree completely," Henry murmured. He tightened his arms around Veronica. He wanted there to be a time, someday, when his children wouldn't have to worry about these things anymore.

***.*.*.*.***

Sabrina looked around the room, frowning a bit. "So this is my room?" she asked, glancing to the decorations and the scattered homework. "We don't share?"

"Daphne and I share now," Red said with a smile. "You get your own room."

Daphne nodded. "It's been that way for awhile," she said, looking at her sister. "You were really excited to get your own room."

"So tell me about Puck," Sabrina said, sitting on her bed. "You wouldn't lie to me Daphne--was I dating him before the amnesia?"

Daphne looked at Sabrina, and then she nodded. "Yeah," she said. "The two of you have been together for a few years now, actually." She grinned. "He's crazy about you."

"He's pretty cute," Sabrina commented, cheeks flushing. "How long have you been dating--Kerdy, was it?"

Daphne's cheeks flushed as well, and ducked her head. "Well...well, um, that's...that's the first time he's said he was my boyfriend," she said shyly.

"He called you 'sweetie' in front of our parents," Sabrina said dryly. "How long have you been dating?"

"Really!" Daphne said, squeaking. "But...but I've liked him for a really long time now."

"Well, as long as he doesn't upset you, I won't have to kick his butt," Sabrina decided.

Red held a giggle in.

Daphne's eyes lit up suddenly, and she had to hug Sabrina. "Kerdy never upsets me, I promise," she said.

Sabrina hugged her tightly. "Good. Well... I'm gonna settle in and see if I can remember some stuff. You two can run along--and go find Kerdy," she teased.

That earned another squeak from Daphne, who was a tomato when she pulled away from her sister. "Okay," she said, wondering then exactly where Kerdy had gone.

After the girls had gone, Sabrina lay back on her bed for a few moments, lost in thought. She couldn't get over the dream she'd had on the train, either.

When she got too bored to keep sitting there, she finally stood and decided to explore. There wasn't much to look at—it didn't seem like anyone was actually upstairs. Her curiosity urged her to open certain doors, although she didn't look in each one.

One in particular caught her attention. It was open a crack, though it had several locks that she thought looked odd. With a shrug, she eased it open just enough so she could get in.

***.*.*.*.***

Kerdy was outside, leaning against the wall by the door. His cheeks were still a dull pink, blonde hair falling over one of his eyes. _'Stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid.'_

"Kerdy...?"

Daphne's hesitant voice came from near the door. She'd looked all over the house and, upon determining he wasn't there, decided to check outside.

She was relieved when she saw him. "There you are," she said with a shy smile. She couldn't help it - just looking at him made her shy.

"Hey Princess," Kerdy said, looking over and managing a smile. "How's Sabrina doing?"

Daphne stepped away from the door and let it shut, and walked over to him. "She wants some time to herself," she said. "She seems okay, but I dunno yet."

"Must be crazy, having amnesia like that," Kerdy murmured. "Your mom thinks really fast."

Daphne nodded, clasping her hands behind her back. "Yeah, she does," she said with a nod.

She looked down at the ground, and then up at Kerdy again. "Kerdy? About, um, what you said inside..."

Kerdy swallowed, then offered his hand with a tender smile. "Come here a sec."

Daphne blushed a little, but didn't ask questions. She reached out and took his hand with a shy smile, stepping closer to him.

He tugged her closer and offered his charming, boyish smile. "I guess we shouldn't be liars, right?"

At the close proximity, Daphne felt her breath catch and her blush growing worse. "L-liars?" she stammered, utterly charmed by his smile - which, of course, was what she was supposed to be.

"Well, we told Sabrina we were boyfriend and girlfriend," he said reasonably.

His other hand came up to cup her cheek, and he was blushing despite his air of confidence. "Daphne... We've known each other a while... Four years now, right?"

She nodded several times, then stopped and was sure that her blush was getting worse. She was also sure that he had to hear her frantic heartbeat. "Yeah," she said. "Four years...wow, really, four years?"

"It feels like just yesterday," he chuckled, his blush endearing and identical to hers. "Well... For me? It... It kinda was."

The hand on her cheek moved, and he placed two fingers at her lips to stop her from interrupting. "What I mean is... I stopped aging four years ago, Daphne. I didn't notice it at first, but I know now."

Slowly Daphne's eyes widened. "You...you stopped aging?" she asked softly. She hadn't noticed. Not because it wasn't noticeable, because she realized it was now, but because Kerdy had always just been...Kerdy, to her. He was perfect no matter how old he looked.

Kerdy withdrew his hand with a blush--when she'd spoken anyway (how had he not realized she'd do that?) her lips had brushed over his fingers many times, and he had not failed to notice that.

"Y-yeah..." He took a deep breath. "I stopped aging... When I met you. Just like Puck _started _aging when he met Sabrina. I mean... What I mean is... What I'm trying to say is-"

"You stopped aging so that we could be closer in age?" Daphne suddenly exclaimed, bouncing a little where she stood. "Really? Because we are now, aren't we?" Her eyes were shining as she realized what he was getting at, and she clasped his hand with both of hers.

Kerdy felt his heart beat three times in the span of time it usually took to beat once. "Yeah," he said softly. "School, my looks, my age, my life... I paused it all so I could wait for you. I thought about just waiting until you grew up, but I didn't want you to be lonely while you were growing up. Daphne, I l-"

"I LOVE YOU, TOO!" Daphne suddenly exclaimed, unable to contain it any longer. She let go of his hand and practically pounced him, throwing her arms around him with a biggest smile ever on her face. She pressed her face into Kerdy's chest, hugging him tightly.

Kerdy caught her with a stunned look, before the stunned look melted into a happy, dumbstruck smile. He held her more firmly, moving from the side of the house to twirl her around happily. He didn't have a single word in his head that could adequately describe how happy he was to have Daphne in his arms, and be able to freely express how he felt about her. Their ages were close enough that no one could protest if they wanted to shout to the world they were boyfriend and girlfriend.

Daphne closed her eyes, holding onto Kerdy as tightly as she could. "I didn't know if you'd ever think of me this way," she said, her voice slightly muffled by his shirt. There weren't enough words in the dictionary or in her imagination to describe how happy she was feeling right then.

Kerdy managed to laugh, twirling with her until he fell backwards into the grass on his butt, holding her in his arms and cushioning the fall for her. "Sorry Princess," he said warmly. "I've been keeping it secret for so long..."

Daphne snuggled her way into his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. "So does this make you my prince now?" she asked with a smile.

He laughed softly again, cupping the back of her head with one hand. "I don't know if you should call me a prince. Just a really lucky, really fortunate, and really happy boy."

She looked up at him, blushing cutely. "I'm really happy, too," she said softly. "Really really really happy. I can't even describe how happy I am."

"Me either," Kerdy grinned, touching her cheek again. "You're adorable when you blush, Daphne."

His heart raced again, and he smiled. "Can I kiss you?"

Daphne bit her lip, since her hand wasn't available, and tried really hard not to squeak. She nodded.

"Hey," Kerdy's voice was gentle. "Don't bite that. I won't have anything to kiss."

He was teasing, but he leaned forward and slowly brushed his lips to hers, hoping she'd relax. Because if she was as nervous as he was, they were going to bonk foreheads, bite each other, or fall over any moment now.

Daphne held very still at the first touch of his lips to hers. Then, slowly, she closed her eyes and let herself relax into the kiss. Kerdy was so wonderful... he was absolutely perfect.

Kerdy relaxed as she did, his fingers smoothing over her cheek while he kissed her. Their lips fit perfectly together, as if they'd been meant for each other all along. The lyrics of a song popped into his head, making him feel corny and cliché--but the line 'I think that it's a sign that the freckles in our eyes are mirror images and when we kiss they're perfectly aligned' fit better than any crap about hearing bells or angels.

It was a perfect way to summarize the way he felt about Daphne. She was perfect for him, and he wanted to be perfect for her. How many people could say they found true love by the age he had? It was truly magic.

Daphne's head was spinning from the kiss - she knew that Kerdy was exactly what she'd been wanting all her life, even if she hadn't known it. She couldn't imagine being with anyone else in any way, because as far as she was concerned Kerdy was perfect. He was sweet, kind, caring, smart, funny, cute, and just...just wonderful.

And she didn't care if she was only twelve, she knew that she always always wanted to be with Kerdy.

Kerdy broke the kiss a moment later, without deepening it or trying to push her too far. He wanted their first kiss to be as sweet as possible. That and Henry was still nearby, and Kerdy was pretty sure he had a shotgun under a table somewhere. He smiled warmly at Daphne.

Daphne gave Kerdy what could only be described as a kitty face, and then snuggled happily against him. "I love you, Kerdy," she whispered. "Can I stay with you always?"

"Always," Kerdy blushed again, hugging her tightly. "I love you too, Daphne."

Daphne smiled and closed her eyes. "Okay," she softly. Her father was the last thing on her mind - she just wanted to be with Kerdy.

Kerdy closed his eyes, content to just sit in the grass with Daphne for as long as they could before Henry or anyone else broke them up.

***.*.*.*.***

Sabrina rubbed her arms as she came down for food, looking into the kitchen and smiling. "Hey Grandma," she said, seeing Relda and Mr. Canis. Red had gone off to look after Cory, and Daphne was probably off with her boyfriend. "Whatcha makin'?"

Relda looked at Sabrina and smiled. "Angel-hair pasta," she replied. "I thought I'd make quite a bit, in case you were really hungry, _liebling._"

"_liebling?" _Sabrina echoed. "That's German, right?"

She walked over and pushed herself up to sit on the counter. "Well, sounds good--so how long have you and Mr. Canis been friends?" She offered a friendly smile to the older man, no doubt or slight distrust in her eyes.

Mr. Canis paused, and then smiled in return to Sabrina

"Several years now...so long I actually can't remember," Relda said with a smile. "He's been a dear friend to me for a long time."

"Awesome," Sabrina smiled at them both. "That's cool that you've been able to be friends for so long."

She looked around curiously for a moment, then back to Mr. Canis and Relda.

"How are you feeling now?" Mr. Canis asked. He was a touch surprised by how friendly she was - not remembering who they were, he expected her to be a bit distrustful.

Sabrina shrugged. "Still working on remembering things. I met that weird guy who lives in the locked room--well, it wasn't locked, but he let on that it was supposed to be. He yelled at me first, but then he introduced himself. What kind of a name is Mirror, and how come no one told me he lived here?"

Relda and Mr. Canis looked at each other for a moment, and then Relda turned back to Sabrina. "Mirror is...he's another friend of the family," she said. "And he's a bit of a recluse - he never leaves his room."

"Oh," Sabrina dangled her feet a bit. "He's kinda creepy. But I guess that's the way recluses are, anyway."

Relda smiled. "He didn't make you feel uneasy, did he, _liebling?_" She worried that Mirror might have said something about Everafters, which would have just confused Sabrina.

Sabrina shrugged. "Eh. Can't really go off first impressions and stuff, ya know? Anyway, no big deal."

She grinned at them again, clearly more childishly innocent than anyone had given her credit for.

Relda smiled gently at her. This was a side of Sabrina that she had never met before - a very innocent side of her.

"I think the food is ready, if you want to have a seat," Relda said, feeling herself get a little emotional as she realized just how different this Sabrina was from her normal self.

"Sure, thanks!" Sabrina jumped off the counter, heading for the table and plopping down in her chair. "So what's it like in Ferryport Landing? Do I have many friends here?"

Relda dished her up a plate, carrying it over and setting it in front of her. "You spend most of your time with Puck, Daphne, and Kerdy," she said honestly. "Primarily with Puck."

Sabrina blushed again. "Yeah. Boyfriend. And all that stuff."

She kicked her legs. "He is pretty cute though. Does he live nearby?"

Relda paused. "Actually," she said, "he lives...here. I've sort of taken him in while he lives in Ferryport Landing, since the rest of his family lives in the city."

"Oh," Sabrina ducked her head. "Uh... And everyone's okay with me dating a boy who lives under the same roof? Are you drugging my daddy?"

"That, I believe, is your mother's job," Mr. Canis said idly.

Relda smiled. "It took Henry some time to get used to it."

It occurred to Relda, also, that this was the first time she had ever heard Sabrina return to Henry as 'daddy'. As though she were at a point where she hadn't yet needed to grow up quickly.

"Mom's always like that with him," Sabrina commented. "Wow... It's still a little weird having a grandma and an uncle and an aunt and stuff. So does this mean more presents on Christmas?" she joked, taking a big bite of her pasta.

Relda laughed softly. "I suppose it does," she said with a smile.

Just then, Elvis came padding into the room and looked at Sabrina with huge, bright eyes. His tail wagged. He'd been summoned by food.

"Now, Elvis, that food is for Sabrina," Relda said in amusement, putting her hand on top of his head.

"Cute," Sabrina grinned down at him, reaching down to pet Elvis, scratching behind his ears. "What's his name?"

"Elvis," Relda said, looking at Sabrina for a moment. "He's a bit of a beggar."

Elvis wagged his tail again.

"Is it okay to give him food?" Sabrina asked, unaware that she'd needed to hear the name twice. "Or is that against your rules, grandma?"

"If you want to give him food, that's fine," Relda said, "so long as it isn't sausage. We have very strict rules about Elvis' sausage intake."

This earned a soft whimper from Elvis - he loved sausage.

"I don't think I wanna know," Sabrina said, carefully getting a good fork-full of pasta for Elvis and dropping it down for him. "We couldn't have pets back in New York."

While Elvis scrambled for the food, Relda looked at her granddaughter. "Did you ever want to have pets?" she asked. The question had never occurred to her.

"A pony," Sabrina admitted sheepishly. "But it's kinda hard to have one of those in an apartment. I always wanted a tree house too--hey, maybe I can make one here?"

"I don't see why not," Relda said thoughtfully. "The weather is still decent, and school hasn't started up yet, of course."

"That'd be awesome!" Sabrina perked up. "I've always wanted to have a tree house. I can't believe I don't remember any of this stuff. I love you, grandma!" she said cheerfully, jumping up and rushing to Relda to give her a tight hug. For good measure, she hugged Mr. Canis too, acting more like Daphne than herself.

Mr. Canis looked rather taken aback, but he did put his arms around Sabrina and hug her in return. Fortunately, he was more used to hugs now with Red and Daphne both around.

Relda couldn't help but look at Sabrina with a tender expression. But the look in her eyes was a little sad as well.

Sabrina went back to her seat, but she noticed the look in Relda's eyes. "Grandma? Why are you sad?"

Relda shook her head and smiled. "Nothing, _liebling_," she said. "I'm just glad to have you here."

Sabrina smiled back. "Okay," she said warmly. After she finished her food, she took her plate to the sink and rinsed it off. "I'm going to go unpack and try to remember stuff."

"All right," Relda said agreeably. "If you need anything, simply let one of us know." She went to Sabrina and placed a light kiss on top of her head.

"Thanks!" Sabrina gave her another quick hug, then dashed off.

"...She was practically a stranger," Jake said, walking into the room. He was with Henry and Veronica--all three had listened in for a bit, while Briar blissfully babysat Cory in the other room.

Relda bit her lip, and then nodded. "I know," she said, that sad look coming back into her eyes.

"Not entirely a stranger," Henry said with a sigh. "Just... she was more the way she was before coming to Ferryport Landing." He looked at Veronica, his arm around her waist. "That's what she reminded me of."

"It's been a long time since I've seen her that way," Veronica said sadly. "And even longer since I've heard her say 'daddy' when it wasn't to get out of trouble. I knew she'd changed a lot, but seeing the complete difference just now..."

"It really shows how different she is," Mr. Canis commented. "And how quickly she's needed to grow up."

"I guess whenever we see how adorable and innocent Daphne is, we should remember Sabrina used to be that way too. And Daphne got to stay that way because of Sabrina..." Jake sighed. "I almost wish she could keep the amnesia. She's cute like this."

"I know what you mean," Henry murmured, nodding slightly to his brother. "I don't mind her forgetting all of the hardships...but she's locked away some very happy memories, as well."

"Still..." Jake sighed. "Okay maybe let's just cut her some more slack?"

Veronica glanced to the door Sabrina had gone out. "I have to wonder what this is like for Puck. He's never met this Sabrina."

***.*.*.*.***

Humming, Sabrina emptied her next bag onto the bed, going through the clothes in there and unaware that Puck was coming to see her from his room.

She rummaged for a moment, then cocked her head to the side when she felt something plastic in the pile of clothes. "What the..."

"...!" Her face turned bright red, door open behind her. She didn't think she needed full privacy, unlike all the times she kept the door locked for fear of someone sneaking up on her

"Whatcha doing?" came the curious tone of Puck's voice as he stood in the doorway of her room, one hand on either side of the frame. He had a grin on his face, and looked very casual.

Sabrina whirled around, face still flushed and the last of the condoms from their trip in her hand. They had a few left that they hadn't used. "..."

Puck blinked, looking down at the condoms that she was holding. "...oops, did I pack those in your suitcase?" he asked.

"....................HOW OLD AM I?" Sabrina yelped in shock, dropping them as if they had burned her skin.

Puck stared at her a little, his eyes widening. "Fifteen," he said in response.

And he suddenly had a bad thought. If she forgot so much...was it possible she forgot how old she was?

Sabrina took a deep breath. "Okay. Fifteen's not so bad. Oh my god, I have to hide those before my daddy finds them!" She scooped them up and found the nearest dresser drawer, shoving them into the back and piling clothes on top.

Puck glanced into the hallway, and then walked over to her. "Hey, it's okay," he said quietly. "Your dad won't get mad." He paused. "Well, okay - he won't get mad at _you_."

Sabrina looked to him, cheeks still very red. "So we... We're like that, huh?" she asked awkwardly.

Puck felt his cheeks heating up a little. "It's a recent change," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "When we were in New York together."

"Oh," Sabrina squeaked.

She fidgeted briefly, then offered a hesitant smile. "And you already said you loved me, so I guess I don't need to ask that."

Puck grinned slowly, granting her a smile in return. "Yep," he said. "I do love you. And it's okay if you don't remember right away - I'll just use this as a chance to charm you all over again."

"Jeez," she laughed nervously and dug her foot into the ground. "No wonder I fell for you. You're really sweet."

She turned to finish unpacking, trying to keep her blushing under control. "How long have we been together?"

"Since you were twelve," Puck replied, grinning and crossing his arms over his chest. "So, I guess about three years now."

"Twelve huh? Seems to be the magic number--Daphne's around that age too." She grinned back at him. "So you live here with my grandma and Mr. Canis? And... Well, I guess the rest of us too. But Grandma and Mr. Canis mainly. They're really nice. I like them."

"You do?" Puck asked, tilting his head to one side. He wasn't surprised about Relda - though it was weird hearing her say Grandma and not Granny - but she liked Mr. Canis already?

"Why wouldn't I like them?" Sabrina asked, honestly confused as she turned to him. "Is he mean or something? He seemed nice enough to me."

"Nah," Puck said, shaking his head with a grin. "He's not mean. Just that I guess I wouldn't have been surprised if you were a little hesitant, since you don't remember."

"Pfft. What am I supposed to do, assume everyone's an evil stranger, just cause I don't remember?" she joked. "Everyone's innocent 'til proven guilty. Well, unless I'm waking up on a table, surrounded by weird people I don't know, and feeling like I got run over by a truck."

"You're something else, Sabrina Grimm," Puck said, looking at her with affection in his eyes.

But even with that, he could see the difference in her. Oh, she was still his Sabrina - that was obvious. But she was his Sabrina without the distrust and the pain that she'd gone through.

"Thanks, I think," Sabrina smiled at him, eyes delighted. "Anyway, I'm gonna unpack, then I think I want to explore Ferryport Landing. Sounds cool, huh? Almost magical. I'm hoping it's exciting."

She turned back to her bags, messing with the clothes on her bed. "Wanna go with me?"

"Sure," Puck said with a nod. "I don't know if you'll find it exciting really - not compared to the city - but I'd be glad to go with you."

"Well, yeah it's no New York or anything, but it's all shiny and new to me," she said with a bright tone in her voice. "Meet you downstairs then!"

She carried some of her clothes to the closet, practically skipping.

Puck stood there for a moment and watched her. Then with a grin, he turned and headed downstairs - and had a feeling that he was going to really have to keep an eye on her. Just in case they ran into someone who was going to cause problems.

Then his grin slowly faded. She was sweet and trusting now, but the moment she regained her memory, he knew Sabrina was going to go back to the way she'd been before. Distrusting. Cautious. The total opposite of what she'd just said - guilty until proven innocent.

A Sabrina who had lost her innocence long before the two of them had ever taken their trip to New York.

And he wasn't sure which version would be better for her. The normal Sabrina, with all of her memories and experiences that she'd had, including those they'd spent together? Or the innocent Sabrina back in her room, happily putting away clothes as she prepared to go explore the town. That Sabrina remembered nothing of the Goblin's Mirror, Bluebeard, or the Heartless. She knew nothing about Everafters, or the Grimm legacy. And she was _happy_.

A part of him wondered if it would be better for her to stay that way. To stay the Sabrina who could smile and trust people that she had just met, instead of immediately wondering if they were plotting to kill her.

He simply didn't know for sure which would be better for her - but thinking about everything she'd gone through and what she must have been like before Ferryport Landing, he couldn't help but understand why she might have given herself amnesia. Even if it had been an accident.

Whichever Sabrina she ended up staying, however - normal Sabrina or new Sabrina - he knew that he'd stick with her through it all. He was going to make sure that she could count on him - even if she didn't remember why.

***.*.*.*.***

**A/N:**

**Sky:** Teehee. More to come soonish! Sorry again if you see typos or errors, we're very sleepy and we wanted to get this out as early as possible XD Though, since there are probably a lot, please feel free to PM them to me, or e-mail them to Ayns_And_ so I can fix them. I noticed sometimes pointing out the typos makes the review box glitch or get angry XD

**Fun Fact#4322: **When Sabrina dreams and has conversations with a 'voice', it's usually her own voice, and she's talking to herself.

**Fun Fact#565: **The song in Kerdy's head during the kiss is called "Such Great Heights" by The Postal Service. I may not have gotten the lyrics one hundred percent, but you get the idea XD

**Fun Fact#319: **SABRINA IS NOT THE MASTER IN OUR STORY. Symbolism, people. She was looking into a mirror.

**Fun Fact#800001: **The reflection from Puck about Sabrina's innocence is referring to her childhood and her virginity. As in, she was innocent before her parents were kidnapped, and the term 'losing innocence' or something similar refers to losing one's virginity.

**Fun Fact#1: **Ayns and I enjoy putting faces into speech. We try to tone it down for fanfics, but babies like Cory have us putting "^^" smiles in with their words.

**Fun Fact#321309: **Sabrina can still leave the barrier, even if she has become an Everafter or is becoming one. Why? Ask me later when I think of a good excuse ^^

**Fun Fact#55: **The scene where Sabrina spoke with Mirror was edited for time :3 It'll be elaborated on next chapter.

**Fun Fact#14 and ½: **I had them say facebook because my older sister found me on facebook after I hadn't spoken with her in like 10+ years. It was amazing, and I hope to talk to her in person someday soon. :)

**Thank you SO MUCH EVERYONE! We've breached (yes breached, not reached) one THOUSAND reviews! That's too awesome, and we're very excited! And thank you to everyone who reviewed since last chapter went up!: silent-entrance, Trickster Queen464, wormybook **(might I add, I need to read their latest chapter…), **Viva-Musica, knoxalot, iCheer36, Aquamarine Jazz, she wants to move, obsessedwithbooks, SeekDreamsAndFindHope, DragonFly7312, Zeorzia, amethystdolphin, ILoveGeorgeCooper, thispresentdarkness** (See the bonus fun fact :D)**, Sabrina Grimm, Lilyflower-314, Ascaisil, Hannah** (Aw, thank you so much! ^^ You rock my socks.), **Harmony352, Laterose **(Teehee! Thank you!), **iD Sisters Grimm iD, A CertainPeanutButterSandwich, gothicgal000, emerald and onyx, Elena Forest, Blue-Eyed-Lily, mysterious13, Lyla Domae, Vladfan4, Grrrgirl1, random **(Sorry the site went wonky—it scared us too…), **Lara D, Hypocritically Her, DarrenShanIsMine, msjezzi-bella, Alice Starr, curlscat, BookLoverXgoogle, chemicalsilver, Amy, emerald rose, -flying-dreaming-dancing-, SweeneyToddLover26, flyingdolphinpuppies **(Squiggles?), **Aisha **(Wow, thank you very much ^^Sorry to keep you waiting, and don't get grounded! :P), **NotSoNormal **(; ; It's a week today, technically…), and **PoisonCrysell! ^^**

**Wow that's a lot!**

**Bonus Fun Fact#100: I have tried to change the synopsis 8 times, and I can't think of anything that doesn't sound dorky yet XD It will probably change as the story nears the end, and again when the story has ended. Which OMG is about 8 chapters away! (maybe)**

Luvvies, please continue to R/R!


	33. Angelic

**EDIT: Sky: Re-Added scene skips.**

**A/N:**

**Sky:** Hoooly Crap. Where to begin? Okay, SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING IN SO LONG! ; ; Trust me, we wanted to! But stuff got in the way… **I left Alaska back on October 2nd for Ascaisil's wedding **(Amg I love you sweetie!) **and went directly from that to North Carolina to meet my future in-laws. My internet has been horribly limited, and Ayns and I have not had a chance to write. **Well, my future father-in-law had wireless, and since my fiancé and I spent the weekend at his place, we got a chapter done! And we made it longer than normal!

…We may have also given an evil cliffhanger. Don't hurt us!

**Also, I'm thinking of posting a companion's guide to NMW. Like, a little quick-mode of the story that basically sums up the chapters and answers FAQs. Also might have funfacts. To clear up possible plot issues people have—that kind of thing. Good idea? :3**

**Ayns:** lol are we allowed to do something like that by the rules of fanfiction(dot)net? If so, *I* might need to look at that companion's guide...

Jking jking.

Several of you have said hi to me on deviantart, and I want to profoundly apologize for there still being no fan art - I've been sick most of this week, and working on a major project for work the other weeks, and I just haven't had time.

So instead of fanart...you get chapter. Somehow I think you all prefer chapter, ya?

**Sky: **Lawl. Well, I'll throw in storylike qualities. Then it'll count. Anyway, this story might end up being less than 40 chapters at this rate XD We got farther than I thought in this one. Enjoy! And sorry in advance for typos, repetitiveness, or messups on the time of day this chapter took place at XD I'm sleepy and not used to the current time difference

***.*.*.*.***

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter Thirty-Three: Angelic_**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

"Thanks a lot for the ice cream, Puck," Sabrina said. "So, what can you tell me about... Well, stuff I don't remember?"

She looked at him with curious and bright blue eyes, clearly ready to believe anything he told her, even though she could do nothing to prove him wrong or right. She had nothing other than blind faith to whatever he said. "Like, how did we get together?"

Puck grinned, turning to look at her as they walked. His hands were shoved into his pockets. "Well," he said, "it started with us pretty much arguing nonstop. I'd insult you, you'd insult me, I'd pull a prank, you'd get pissed at me, things like that. It was one of those I liked you, you liked me things, but neither of us were going to admit it."

She grinned a bit. "I didn't wanna say anything, but I was getting that type of vibe. I mean, you're sweet and pretty hot, but it'd be boring if that was it. So what changed? How'd we go from immature to dating?"

She brought her ice cream up and licked the top scoop.

"Believe it or not, life or death situation," Puck said. He grinned. "We were on the way home from school - arguing - and you tripped and stumbled out into the road. I had to grab you out of the way of some moron who wasn't watching where he was driving. It was pretty close."

"My hero," she joked, reaching out to tuck a piece of his hair back from his eyes. "And then what, I insulted you and you cried?" she teased. "All worried I'd been about to die?"

"I did not cry," Puck said with a shake of his head. He grinned at her as she brushed aside his hair. "Seriously. I don't cry."

"Ever?" Sabrina teased. Feeling playful, she took her ice cream and smudged it on his nose, getting the cold strawberry treat right on the tip. "Whoops!"

Puck's eyes widened, and he wrinkled his nose. "Hey, it's cold!" he said, his nose covered with strawberry.

Sabrina laughed and pulled her ice cream back. "Couldn't resist."

"Adorable. I may vomit," William said, standing not too far away with his wife and daughter. Cassia had a soft pretzel in one hand, and William's hair in the other while he held her.

Sabrina looked over curiously, cocking her head to the side.

Puck looked up, and rolled his eyes when he saw William, bringing his sleeve up to wipe his nose off. "Oh, great, what are you doing out here?" he asked.

Cassia looked up from her pretzel, her eyes lighting up at the sight Sabrina. "Sab!" the little girl said brightly, tightening her grip on William's hair.

Sabrina looked at the group for a moment, then smiled. "Do I know them?" she asked Puck.. "The little girl kinda sounds like my little brother when he's trying to say my name."

William frowned. "Has she lost her mind?" he asked Puck politely. Snow looked at Sabrina in concern when she heard her question.

"Yeah, you know them," Puck said to her, putting his arm around her waist. He looked at William. "She's got amnesia."

"..." William very calmly plucked Cassia off of his hair and handed the adorable little girl to his wife. As soon as she was secure, he fell to the ground in hysterical laughter, holding his stomach. He was literally rolling on the floor, laughing.

"...Um..." Sabrina looked at him in confusion, then at Puck. Was that normal?

Puck stared down at the laughing mayor. "...Wow," he said, managing to find his voice.

Cassia's mouth fell open, staring at her father. Slowly she looked up at her mother. "Pawa?" she asked, which was clearly baby speak for "Has Daddy lost his mind?"

"I don't know, sweetie," Snow said, kissing the top of Cassia's hair.

"Dear god!" William laughed. "She's serious? Has she been in a coma lately? Or pregnant?"

Sabrina paled, dropping her ice cream. Why would he say that? Was she pregnant? She wasn't sure, but after finding the condoms...!

Puck's eyes widened, seeing her reaction. "No!" he said immediately. "No - seriously! You're not! I don't think you are. Are you? No!" He shook his head.

Sabrina breathed a sigh of relief. "Right. Condoms. Protection. All that stuff. Okay, sorry. But why would he say that?"

"He's just teasing," Snow said with a reassuring smile towards Sabrina. "I'm Snow, by the way - and this is my husband, William, and our daughter Cassia." She thought introducing them might be a good start.

"Nice to re-meet ya," Sabrina said politely, watching William finally pick himself up and snicker.

"William Charming, Mayor of Ferryport Landing," he said, holding his hand out to her.

"Charming? Wow, cool name," Sabrina shook his hand. "Like Prince Charming--I bet you get that a lot. From the fairytales, ya know? I don't know many fairytales, but I always thought they were kind of cool."

William stared at her, unsure of whether or not he was going to catch 'crazy' from touching her hand.

Puck snickered softly. If only Sabrina had any idea. Cassia shoved her pretzel back into her mouth, looking at Sabrina with innocent eyes.

Snow smiled. "We hear that a lot, actually," she said. She kissed the top of Cassia's head.

"I think that's pretty neat," Sabrina said, grinning sheepishly.

William raised an eyebrow. She liked the idea of Prince Charming?

"You think it's neat?" Puck asked, staring at her. "Really? You like Prince Charming?" The fact that she was saying this in front of the real Prince Charming was rather amusing.

"Doesn't every girl?" Sabrina joked. "Well, I never saw Cinderella or any of those movies, so I guess I prefer Peter Pan over Prince Charming. I actually got to watch that one."

William backed away warily. Snow glanced at Puck, and held Cassia a little closer, looking suddenly protective.

Puck twitched. "Peter...Pan." He stared at Sabrina. "You just said Peter Pan."

"Well, yeah," Sabrina grinned. "My sister and I used to watch Peter Pan all the time. I kinda had a crush on him," she joked. "Maybe that's why I'm dating a blonde."

"I'll have you know that I am ten times better than Peter Pan, any day of the week!" Puck said indignantly. "There's no contest, really. I'm just better."

"Well, I can't argue that," Sabrina said, amused. "You're real, and Peter Pan isn't."

"Yes. Good." Puck nodded, his arm around her waist pulling her a little closer. "No arguments. I'm real and he's not." He was cool with her thinking that - absolutely cool.

Sabrina rolled her eyes and leaned against Puck. "Dork. Anyway, it was nice meeting you," she said to William and his family. "We should get going. Puck's showing me around."

Snow smiled and nodded. "Enjoy the rest of the day, then," she said. "Cassia, sweetie, say good bye."

Cassia beamed at Sabrina. "Sab!" she said, waving her pretzel and then reaching her hand out for William's hair again.

Sabrina waved, complete with a 'bye bye' at Cassia, before heading off with Puck again.

"I swear," William shook his head. "Their life really is a soap opera."

"I wonder what happened to her," Snow said worriedly, stroking Cassia's hair and looking after the two teens. "For her to have lost her memories like that..."

William shrugged. "Maybe her evil twin switched places with her. Then again, in her case I'd say Grimm was the evil twin, not the replacement. Either way, I don't care."

Snow turned towards him and leaned up, brushing her lips against his cheek. She didn't argue with him about whether or not he cared - he had a soft spot for the Grimm girls even if he would never admit it. "I may call them later to check on things," she said. "In the mean time, why don't we head home?"

"Good idea. I have pretzel residue in my hair," William griped. He didn't mind though. He'd let Cassia get away with just about anything.

Cassia beamed at her father, and held the half-gnawed pretzel up for his approval.

Snow laughed softly. "Why don't you carry her again?" she asked.

"Alright," William said, taking Cassia into his arms. After all, not only did he never turn Snow down on a request, but he never tired of holding his daughter, either.

Cassia immediately caught William's hair, and snuggled against him. "Pawa," she cooed, nuzzling her face into his neck.

***.*.*.*.*  
**  
With a sigh, Sabrina plopped down onto her bed, closing her eyes. She wasn't sure what to make of her supposed life in Ferryport Landing. It was so different from all of her experiences in New York, and having to take other people's words for it on how she lived was surreal enough.

The upsides she could see were pretty obvious. Her family seemed happy where they were, she had more relatives than she'd originally thought, and she had a pretty awesome boyfriend.

The downsides? She still had no freaking recollection, she didn't like small towns as much as big cities, and people seemed… Well, strange, to put it bluntly.

Not only had the supposed Mayor laughed so hard he had to literally roll around on the ground, but her 'friend', who insisted on nicknames like 'Mirror' and 'Starfish' just made her feel uncomfortable. She didn't want to press the issue to her family, but if he wasn't related or a close family friend, why did the recluse live in their home? And in such a weirdly decorate room? It made little sense.

Sabrina sat up and frowned, rubbing her wrist a little as she recalled the two times now she had attempted to talk to him. Why did his nickname, 'Starfish', make her feel awkward? And how come she initially didn't trust him, when she seemed to like everyone else?

_'Maybe it's just a boundary issue,' _she thought optimistically, getting out of bed and going to her window. _'Because he seems like the odd one out. Hm… Maybe he's lonely. I should bring him cookies or something.'_That thought in mind, she headed to the kitchen to see if they had any cookies on hand.

***.*.*.*.*  
**  
Ten minutes later found her sitting with Mirror in his reclusive room, nibbling a cookie.

"So," Sabrina said. "How long have you lived with my family, again?"

"Oh, many years," Mirror answered, watching her curiously. "I wish we could do something about your amnesia, Starfish."

Sabrina shifted again. "Can you call me Sabrina for now? I can keep calling you 'Mirror', but it seems kinda odd for me. That's all."

"Sure," he said easily, watching her. "Does this room make you uncomfortable?"

Sabrina hesitated. In all honesty, the room didn't bother her much. It was his presence that alarmed her. "Well," she admitted. "I think I'm just uncomfortable because I don't really remember you. It's not the room."

"Really," he said with interest. "Well, don't worry, Sta—Sabrina. It's perfectly natural for you to feel that way. I don't blame you."

A relieved smile spread across Sabrina's face. "Thanks, Mirror. I was worried you'd be mad at me."

His smile made her shiver. "I could never be mad at you."

Awkwardly stuffing the rest of her cookie in her mouth, Sabrina had a hard time swallowing. Her throat felt dry. "A-anyway," she murmured when she managed to choke down the last chocolate chip. "I just wanted to make sure you weren't feeling lonely. I'm going to go look through my stuff and try to jog my memory."

"Okay," Mirror said, playing with a box that she hadn't noticed him holding before. Two bracelets glinted from the inside, both of them gold and a little tingly. She wanted to touch them, but she thought better of it and left. Besides, what if they were family heirlooms or priceless antiques?

She went back to her room and sat down with a sigh, feeling like she hadn't accomplished much of anything. "Good plan there, Sabrina," she muttered. Her eyes flickered to the sparkling ring on her finger, and she paused for a moment.

For a brief moment, she wasn't sure about wearing it. A look of uncertainty flashed across her face, and then she was pushing it back, heading for her closet. "May as well look through my crap," she muttered to herself.

***.*.*.*.***

_She wasn't sure when exactly she fell asleep. She didn't remember lying down on her bed or thinking particularly sleepy thoughts—but Sabrina knew she was dreaming the moment she looked around._

_She sat in a tree, the wind fluttering and gently ruffling her hair. It was one of her rules that wind was the natural enemy of long hair, but she wasn't getting any tangles or stray clumps in the face._

_"I asked if you trusted me."_

_She looked up in shock, then found herself grinning as a familiar boy held his hand out to her. The grin melted away when she realized he wasn't in the tree with her. He was standing in the air, green eyes fixed on her face._

_"Puck," she argued. "You're standing in the air."_

_"So?" he retorted, keeping his hand steady._

_"Well… Why?"_

_"Why not?"_

_"…Good point," Sabrina shrugged. She had no argument—things like logic and the laws of physics didn't have to exist in dreams._

_"Well, do you trust me?" Puck repeated._

_"Yes," Sabrina answered._

_"Then take my hand."_

_"Are you going to pull me out of the tree if I do?" she asked warily, looking down. Instead of ground, she saw a large trampoline._

_"Maybe," he flashed her a boyish smile. "But if you don't take my hand, will you regret it?"_

_"…"_

_Sabrina reached out and took his hand, as if invisible cords were pulling her to him. If she had been awake, she was sure (never mind that Pick wouldn't be in the air) that she wouldn't have stepped out of a tree. She was sure however, that she still would have taken his hand, regardless of any fears._

_He pulled her off the branch and towards him, pink wings flaring from his back and holding them both in the air, beating as fast as a hummingbird's._

_"See?" he asked, watching her gape. "Just trust me."_

_Wrapping his arms around her firmly, he took her higher into the air, cupping the back of her head. She found herself reaching up to grasp the green hoodie he was wearing, her body pressed close. "We're flying."_

_"Cool, huh?"_

_"So how come you get wings and I don't?" she asked, tilting her head to regard him with curious blue eyes._

_"You do have wings," he said, silver eyes focused on hers._

_"…"_

_She quickly turned her head to look, yelping when she saw green wings fluttering behind her in the same manner—but not as quickly as Puck's. "Holy crap, I'm a fairy!"_

_He laughed. "That's one way of putting it, Grimm."_

_"This is probably one of the coolest dreams I've ever had," she said, "Can I fly?"_

_"Do you want me to let go?"_

_"Well… Maybe keep holding my hand," she mumbled, feeling her stomach drop a bit. She didn't trust herself to be able to fly without him yet._

_Slowly, as if part of a choreographed dance, Puck slid her from his arms, cupping her elbows until he only held one of her hands in his. His eyes never left her while she stumbled and wobbled, green wings fluttering quickly._

_"It's so lame that you get green and I get pink," Puck griped, playful grin in place._

_"Just means you're more feminine," she teased, sticking her tongue out._

_He watched her steady herself, before taking her a bit higher. "Do you like being a fairy, Sabrina?"_

_"It's cool," Sabrina admitted. "But this is just a dream."_

_"What if it's not a dream?" Puck asked quietly, eyes still silver. "What if I said you could be a fairy, and stay with me forever?"_

_Sabrina raised her eyes to look up at him, "It would be nice," she admitted softly. "Hey, think I could fly on my own?"_

_"Maybe," Puck said with a shrug. "But I don't want to let go of you. Did you know, some say the first angels only had one wing each?"_

_"One wing? How do they fly that way?" Sabrina asked in honest confusion._

_"They didn't fly—at least not alone," Puck flew a bit higher, pulling her hand so she joined him. "They say God created them that way so they couldn't be selfish and fly alone. They had to fly together if they wanted to fly at all."_

_"That sounds beautiful… But unconventional," Sabrina murmured._

_"Now you sound more like the Sabrina I know."_

_"The Sabrina you know?" She echoed, looking back to him._

_"If I told that story to the Marshmallow, she'd think it was romantic, and clasp her hands together. The fact that it's bothersome and unconventional wouldn't occur to her."_

_"Are you saying I should be more jaded?" Sabrina asked, looking unsure._

_"No," Puck shook his head. "Unless you want to be."_

_"Why would I want to be jaded?"_

_"There are two Sabrinas. I love them both," Puck said, looking to the sky. "The innocent one who hasn't been hurt or betrayed. She wears her heart on her sleeve and believes in dreams and fairytales."_

_"And the other?"_

_"Years of growing up too fast have hardened her. She can't trust freely, and she can't smile all the time. But that's the Sabrina I met first—the one I fell in love with, and the one that remembers making promises she still keeps."_

_Sabrina shifted at his words, feeling a tugging in the back of her mind—the voice reminding her she didn't want to be hurt. "Wouldn't it be better for 'Sabrina' if she didn't have the pain to remind her how much the world can suck sometimes?"_

_"That's why I'm letting her choose," Puck said, turning back to her. "Which Sabrina would you rather be?"_

_Before she could answer, he pulled her up closer and pressed his lips to hers, his free hand feathering a light touch over her cheek. "Either way," he murmured, breaking the kiss. "I love you. No matter what."_

_"No matter what," she murmured, closing her eyes._

_She opened them to tell him her answer._

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

"ACK!" Sabrina had three seconds to realize where she was and what she was doing before she face-planted on the floor.

When she turned to look at her back, she sighed. No wings. No pretty blue sky. No Puck. Just regular Sabrina in her Ferryport Landing home.

"That was made of fail," she groaned, pushing herself up and rubbing her cheeks when she made it back onto her bed. "Ow."

"Are you okay in there?" Veronica's voice called through the door.

"Sabwa…"

"I'm fine mom, Cory," Sabrina said, figuring her mother had her little brother right outside her room.

"Okay," Veronica sighed. "Come down for breakfast when you're ready."

"Kay," Sabrina replied, listening for a moment. She could hear Cory playing with Veronica's hair, satisfied that he'd gotten an answer from Sabrina as well.

Once they'd gone, Sabrina lay back on her bed and looked up to the ceiling. She could still remember every detail of her dream. And it worried her.

Was her Dream-Puck hinting that she was making herself forget because of tragic events in the past? Or was he saying that she was afraid of committing to him and her new life?

And regardless… How did she undo whatever she may or may not have done?

Her eyes flickered to the ring on her finger again, and with a frown, she reached for it. Her hand hesitated over the shining diamonds, but she had no plausible reason as to why.

"It's a ring," she murmured to herself. "That's all it is. You can put it right back on."

When she felt herself hesitate again, she scowled. "Oh for goodness sake…"

Closing her eyes, she grabbed the ring and tugged it off so fast it scraped the skin on her knuckles. "Ow!"

She didn't get any other exclamation out after 'ow' as a surge of magic rushed through her, freezing her in place. Moments of her life jarred themselves back into her memory with the gentleness of a gorilla slamming puzzle pieces together to make a picture. Faces and feelings assaulted her from e very angle until she was a gasping, writhing mass on her bed, breathing deeply.

Her parents. The orphanage. Daphne. Abuse. Lies. Ms. Smirt. Granny Relda. Mr. Canis. Puck. The Scarlet Hand. Everafters. Puck. Red. The Jabberwocky. Puck. Titania. Oberon. Mustardseed, Puck. Kerdy. Klarissa. The Goblin's Mirror. Puck. The curse. Puck.

It rushed at her, with one name standing out more than others until she remembered the last stable memory before her amnesia. It was her death, at Titania's hands, while Oberon regained life.

The memory might have alarmed her, if she hadn't already had the knowledge that Oberon was alive and so was she.

And she _had _given herself the amnesia. She could remember her dream now, convincing her she would be safer if she didn't remember broken promises and shattered innocence. But she had too many good memories for it to be worth it. Sure, she was mistrustful and rough around the edges, but she had someone who loved her that way.

_'Puck,' _she thought, stumbling out of bed and to her door, with the intent to run to him and throw her arms around him. The dream made so much more sense! And he had been willing to stay with her even if she never remembered their history. He hadn't tried to force her to remember, just letting her decide what she wanted to do. _'Puck!' _her mind practically sang.

One name flashing in her mind halted her mid-step.

Mirror.

It hadn't made sense to her before—she trusted Mirror. He had been one of her only friends in a time of need. Someone she could confide in. But…

Without the isolation from her family and her mistrust, without having to turn to him because no one else would listen… Without that base trust and comfort level, she hadn't been able to be around him. She hadn't trusted him, she hadn't enjoyed his company, and she hadn't been able to figure out why.

So why, when her trust was given without much of a thought, and her heart was innocent like Daphne's, had he been the one person she hadn't been able to trust?

The answer was right in front of her—and with a clenching of her heart, she realized why it hadn't been so obvious before. Her mind had been trying to protect her again, not letting her realize why she kept seeing her own reflection in her dreams with a sense of danger.

Mirror was the one betraying her. It had always been Mirror.

Gripping the doorknob, Sabrina bit down on her lip. _'Why?' _she wanted to scream it. She wanted to demand answers and explanations for what she was beginning to realize.

Before she knew what she was doing, she had thrown he door open, stalking to the Hall of Wonders to get those answers. Had she stopped to calm down, she might have gotten someone else to go with her—but her mind wasn't working rationally. All she could think about was how badly she had been betrayed if he instinct was right. If Mirror really was the Master. All the clues made sense—he was close enough to her family to be able to betray them, knowing inside information like how her bracelet worked…

If it was true, had he told Bluebeard how to tie her hands so she wouldn't be able to help Puck? How had she ever befriended someone who could be so cold? How had she confided in him?

It was almost ironic to think that his actions had made her such a mistrustful and jaded girl, and yet she had trusted him. But before those actions, when she had trusted random strangers, she hadn't trusted him. Maybe ironic was a bad way to describe it—but it was at the very least, strange and almost funny.

There was no humor on her face as she stalked right up to the little man, eyes flashing.

He turned to her calmly. "Starfish. You have your memories back, don't you?"

"Yes," Sabrina said, clenching her fists so hard it hurt. "I do."

"Good," he said. "Then I won't feel as bad."

"For what?" she demanded, rage bubbling to the surface. "For betraying Granny? For lying to me all this time? Lying to ALL OF US?"

"You'll understand one day," he sighed.

Before she could shout or cry, barely holding back her tears of anger, a tingling sensation raced through her body, making her feel drowsy and weak. "Wh… Wha…"

Her vision swam. Mirror blurred in and out of focus. She had a moment to realize she was falling before she hit the ground, losing consciousness. With the eyes of a man who didn't have remorse, Mirror knelt down and fastened gold bracelets on each wrist, moving her from the main room and into another. It wasn't that he held no remorse at all for what he had to do, but the ends would justify the means. Ever since finding out that Sabrina was going through a conversion from human to fairy, he had carefully planned, waiting for the perfect moment. Too many of his plans or ideas had backfired or failed. This would be the last—for if it failed, it would simply be the end.

He set her near the wall and hooked the bracelets on a chain so that her hands hung together above her head. Then, taking her left hand, he moved it over her braided bracelet and forced her hand to close, activating it.

Mirror shifted her palm to rest over the glimmering cord that he couldn't see, satisfied when her hand met resistance. He pushed down twice—hard. After all—what better way to call Puck to them on his own terms, to make sure he didn't simply barge in later when Mirror had no way to subdue him?

Trap in place, Mirror simply waited. Knowing Puck, and the way Sabrina described their relationship, he wouldn't have to wait long.

***.*.*.*.***

The tree house felt empty without her.

That was the most profound thought that danced through Puck's mind as he lay in the center of the pillow pile. His wings were pulled in, and he had his hands tucked behind his head as he stared up at the wooden ceiling above. He kept meaning to install some sort of light fixture in the tree house – day and night mimicked inside his room what it was outside, except that there was never any bad weather and at night the sky was always clear.

Then again, if the sky was always clear, he didn't need a light fixture. The sun lit the house during the day, the moon lit it during the night. And that was all the light that he needed.

He heard a sudden _thwack!_ from outside, and let out a groan as he rolled onto his side and pushed himself up. He walked out of the tree house and leaned over the railing. "Celeste, cut that out!" he called. "I need that tree."

The black mare looked up at him with what could only be described as an indignant expression on her face, and then gave another well-timed kick at the tree trunk with her back hoof.

Puck twitched. "Of course, I forgot, you only do what Sabrina tells you to do," he muttered. And that was also the reason why Celeste was so irritable. She wanted Sabrina, and he wasn't able to give her to him – there was, after all, no easy way for him to explain why there was a _horse_ living in his _bedroom_.

Nor was there an easy way to explain his bedroom, period.

He sighed and looked up, staring at the line of trees that obscured the path leading to his bedroom door. He'd tamed the jungle that had once been his room. Oh, the trampoline was still there, but most of the wildlife was gone, and everything looked a little less…insane. He attributed half of that to Sabrina, and the other half to the fact that he was (he still grimaced a little when he thought of it) growing up.

Although growing up definitely had his perks.

But really, that was the furthest thing from his mind right now. What _was_ on his mind – still on his mind - was the current situation with Sabrina. Even though he had reconciled most of his emotions over Sabrina's amnesia, he couldn't stop thinking about just how different she was. With another soft sigh, Puck crossed his arms and laid them on the railing that ran around the tree house porch, and laid his head on it. He glanced at the bracelet around his wrist.

He couldn't stop thinking about the biggest change concerning Sabrina - how much more _trusting_ she was. Trusting, and carefree, and… so many small things that he had never noticed before. It weighed heavily on his mind, still bothering him. He went over it in head, trying to figure out how someone could change so drastically in such a short amount of time. After all, two years? That was like nothing for a fairy. But it had transformed Sabrina Grimm more than some people had changed over the course of a century.

Her parents' disappearance, being moved from one horrendous foster home after another, coming to a strange town to live with a woman she didn't know who called herself her grandmother, and having to take care of her younger sister the entire time – Sabrina had had to grow up pretty quickly. It wasn't something that he was familiar with, the concept of having to give up a childhood to grow up. Sure, he was growing _now_ – but he'd had centuries of childhood to back it up. And in all honesty, if he hadn't met her he probably would have had centuries more. She was the reason that he was growing up, and he'd keep growing until they were both ready to stop.

And yet…would that be with the Sabrina from before, or the Sabrina that she was now?

_'Is there a difference?'_ he thought to himself, berating himself for even wondering. He'd already made up his mind that it wouldn't matter to him as long as she was happy. Either Sabrina was still Sabrina, wasn't she? Whether she remembered Everafters or not, whether she remembered her missing years or not, she was still _Sabrina, _and that was what mattered the most to him.

He'd made her a promise, after all – no matter what. And it didn't matter if she remembered those missing years or not, he planned on staying by her side.

A grin suddenly appeared on his face when he recalled an expression that he'd seen on her face earlier. He couldn't remember what it was, but she had just _completely_ lit up with a brilliant smile. It was a smile that had made her eyes brighten, one that widened from ear to ear. It was the sort of smile that he wouldn't mind seeing again and again. It had made her look angelic—a word he never could have used to describe the old Sabrina.

He'd seen her smile many times before, but nothing quite like that—and never very frequently. Idly he reached over and touched the bracelet again. He wanted to see her smile like that again, and if they _were_ able to restore her memories, he was bound and determined to get her to smile like that even then. He'd dedicate himself to the task if he had to. Make it his life's work. The thought alone made him laugh – if he ever made his thoughts on the matter known, she'd probably smack him upside the head. Which, of course, wouldn't stop him for one minute.

Puck straightened up and turned away from the railing to go back into the tree house. It was about time he headed back to the rest of the house anyway, before someone decided to look for him.

He hadn't taken more than two steps before he felt a tugging at his wrist that made him stop and look down. His eyes widened slightly – he could make out the thin line of silk that connected their bracelets, and it was leading straight out of his room.

All at once it felt like his mind was splintering into multiple voices, each part yammering in his head in confusion as he stared down at the silk cord with wide eyes. Because it fell heavily under the heading of "Can Not Be Explained"; he had never told Sabrina how the bracelets were supposed to work. She was just under the impression that they were one of those couples that wore matching jewelry for sentimental reasons. So having the bracelet suddenly activate itself was _not_ something that Puck had ever expected as long as she was amnesic.

Explanation after explanation flew through his head. It was an accident – the bracelet had somehow activated itself, maybe because she'd been messing with it, but why on Earth would she have ever thought to squeeze it? It's not like it was the most squeezable object ever – he certainly hadn't looked at it for the first time and thought, "I should try squeezing it!"

Maybe it was a malfunction. Could a bracelet made of string malfunction? It wasn't like it was mechanical…was it? He'd never thought to ask Kerdy about the particulars involving the string. He was pretty sure the original string had just come from a spool of thread that Relda had had lying around the house somewhere. Maybe it was the silk that Kerdy had added to it that could malfunction?

Or maybe…maybe it had gone off because she'd intended it to. Maybe her memories had come back to her, and the bracelet had been activated for the reason that it existed – because she _needed _him.

It was that thought that launched him over the railing that wrapped around the tree house, his wings extended and rushing him towards the door. If it was intentional, then he needed to go to her. He couldn't run the risk of assuming it was an accident, and being wrong. He hit the ground running, tearing out of his room and following the cord's trail.

Straight to the Hall of Wonders.

***.*.*.*.***

"Sabrina!" Her name burst forth from Puck's mouth as he rushed into the Hall of Wonders, following the path that the cord made through the main room and into the other. He charged inside, fully prepared to battle anything that needed battling, or else to explain to Sabrina why he'd come charging in screaming her name for no apparent reason.

"Sabri-" Puck's voice cut off suddenly as he stopped in the doorway, his eyes widening when he caught sight of an unconscious Sabrina being held against the wall.

Sabrina groaned at her name. No one else was within sight, and the bracelets on her wrists were very obviously soaking up magic. Even Puck's natural magic felt drawn to the devices, his powers being absorbed and stolen from him.

They were absorbing every piece of magic in the entire Hall of Wonders, albeit slowly.

Puck's eyes widened in shock as he realized what was happening - he could feel himself being drained. It wasn't like when he'd been faced with Will's iron sword - but it felt wrong all the same.

"What the hell?" Puck rushed forward, sensing that the bracelets were what was drawing the magic - and he didn't want to think about why they might be specifically on Sabrina's wrists. He didn't like it. He didn't like it at all.

Something struck the back of Puck's head forcefully, knocking him down. Puck felt his breath get knocked from him the moment he hit the ground, barely able to put out his hands to try and break his fall. He lay there for a moment, stunned and unable to speak as his throbbing mind tried to process what had just happened.

"And with that complication out of the way," Mirror's voice came from above Puck, as he moved to restrain the blonde fairy much like he was restraining the other blonde... partial fairy.

He kept Puck restrained far enough away that he wouldn't be able to reach Sabrina, before pulling back and crossing his arms over his chest.

Puck's eyes widened, staring at Mirror in the disbelief. "What the _hell_, Mirror?" he demanded. "What is this? What are you doing?" He tugged on the restraints, then winced - his head still hurt.

"I'm getting out of here," Mirror said calmly. "It is regrettable that Sabrina is the only one I can use. She really was one of the nicest Grimms I have ever met."

"Use?" Puck stared at him. "Use how? Use for what?" He clenched his jaw and yanked at his restraints. "What does she have anything to do with you getting out of here?"

"Do you recognize the bracelets on her wrists, Puck?" Mirror asked, walking closer to Sabrina and touching her cheek.

Sabrina groaned again, shuddering.

"Should I?" Puck asked, scowling. But he did take a second look at the bracelets, a frown on his face.

Mirror shrugged. "They aren't well known. In fact, I doubt any recorded history will explain where they came from. The bracelets absorb magic of any kind, save for the natural magic in non-fairy Everafters, and give it over to the user. They don't fully activate unless placed on a human. Luckily, she hasn't made her full transition to an Everafter yet, or this wouldn't work."

"...you're absorbing magic and giving it to Sabrina?" Puck stared at Mirror in disbelief. "_Why?_ Have you gone _insane_ or something?"

"Simple," Mirror said, looking back to Puck. "Her magic addiction isn't gone, Puck. Not completely. It would have vanished when she finished her transition, but it was only toned down until now. No doubt, your future self made sure it would be as comfortable for her as possible when he split his magic and took the addiction."

He pulled his hand back from Sabrina. "This much magic, without the trauma behind it, will give Sabrina the power of the Heartless without the namesake. However, the lack of control may very well destroy her in the end."

Puck felt his entire body go cold. He stared at Mirror, feeling like he couldn't breathe, like there was something pressing on his chest and constricting the flow of air.

"You bastard," Puck whispered, staring at Mirror. "How? How can you do this to her?"

"Don't you dare judge me," Mirror snapped. "You carefree little bastard. You don't know what it's like to live as long as I have, and yet not even be classified as a living thing. To be trapped, a servant to masters who rarely treat you well."

Sabrina groaned again, shuddering in her restraints.

"So you decide to completely use and possibly kill someone who _did?_" Puck sneered at Mirror. "_Real_ nice. What makes you think she's going to do anything to help you? You _betrayed_ her!"

Mirror sighed. "I knew she wouldn't help me willingly in this. I never expected her to. Especially when she barged in with her full memories, realizing who I really was."

He turned to Puck, eyes cold. "It would have been convenient had she not distrusted me so much with her amnesia. I had hoped for a bit more time to plan. After all, my followers are many--though not very smart."

"Your followers?" Puck repeated. He was about to ask Mirror if he was delusional...when his brain finally caught up to his mouth.

"_You're_ the Master?" The expression on Puck's face could only be described as dumbfounded.

"You look surprised. How insulting," Mirror chuckled, shaking his head. "Though I made sure to hide it well."

"You little..." Puck's voice came out in a hiss, and he stopped, suddenly too furious for words. "All this time... I don't believe this..." He took a deep breath. "You little _freak!_"

Mirror rolled his eyes. "Regardless, I won't have to try very hard to get Sabrina to do as I say. Once the magic begins to overflow, she'll need to find ways to release it or the pain will become unbearable. Since she's stuck in this room, and chained to it, she'll most likely accidentally break all of the bindings for us, allowing all of us to leave. Or I can suggest it to her. Eventually, the magic will build high enough that she will accidentally shatter the barrier trapping Everafters. If she had been fully human when I placed those bracelets on her, she would die long before she absorbed enough magic. I would have liked to have waited longer, but that was out of my hands. Hopefully she'll survive the process."

"Hopefully?" Puck's eyes flashed. "_Hopefully?_ If she doesn't survive this, you're not going to last much longer, either! If you think I'm going to let you get away with this, you're dead wrong, Mirror! I'll kill you!"

"I expect you to remain by her side," Mirror said simply, looking to Puck with an unimpressed look. "You'd abandon her while she writhes in pain, unable to handle the magic?"

Anger spiked through Puck again, but he knew - just as Mirror knew - that there was no chance in hell that Puck would do such a thing to Sabrina. He'd never abandon her.

"No," he said quietly, his expression dark. "You _know_ I wouldn't do that."

"Exactly. And if she destroys herself with the magic--who do you think will be destroyed with her?"

Mirror looked to Puck. "In short, you are the least of my worries."

Puck glared at him. "What makes you think you're going to get away with any of this?" he demanded.

"The simple fact that no one will stop me, and I will have a chance at a real, normal life when this is over," Mirror said quietly. "No doubt the Grimms will concern themselves with trying to find and somehow contain the dangerous Everafters once the wreckage has been taken care of. I'll vanish."

Sabrina whimpered, the sound distressed and pained.

The sound of her pain cut through Puck like a knife. "Stop this, Mirror," he said, looking at him. "You have to. This is...damn it, it's Sabrina! How can you do this to her?" He looked at Sabrina desperately. She wasn't even fully awake - there had to be something that he could do.

Mirror ignored him, emotionless eyes focused on Sabrina.

***.*.*.*.***

The crystal rose flickered, one of the petals withering lightly. It had never reacted in such a way--but Kerdy was with Daphne when it happened, proving the loved one in question that might have been hurt couldn't be him.

He didn't notice the rose, too busy stroking Daphne's hair while she made him watch another movie involving cute love stories. He never minded the stories. Even though they had started the movie long before any sane person liked to be awake, in order to be done in time for breakfast.

Kerdy shifted Daphne in his lap, making sure she was comfortable.

Daphne blushed, and snuggled closer to Kerdy, resting her head on his chest. As she did so, she caught sight of the rose out of the corner of her eye.

"Kerdy?" she asked abruptly, interrupting the movie as her attention was instantly distracted by the oddly-acting rose.

Kerdy looked down at her, hand stilling. "Too much? Too little? Uncomfortable? Need a drink? Is your dad around with a shotgun?"

He immediately looked around, trying to see if Henry was nearby.

"No, look," Daphne, shaking her head and pointing at the rose. She thought Kerdy to be completely sweet and endearing, but the way the rose looked worried her enough to make her anxious.

Kerdy turned, frowning when he saw the withered petal. "That thing has a mind of its own," he mumbled. He could hear the family downstairs making dinner, but he pushed back the distraction and got off the bed, leaving Daphne behind.

Daphne hurried off the bed, her entire face filled with worry. Daphne could never hide her emotions - they were always easy to see. "Something's wrong, isn't it?" she asked Kerdy.

"The rose is only supposed to wither if you die," Kerdy said in confusion. "You're not in any danger or anything..."

Then he paused. "The journal from the future said a petal withered every time you lost a relative."

Alarm shot through Daphne, and she looked up at him. Her face had gone pale. "But...but my family's okay," she said. "I can hear them downstairs making breakfast..." Except that she couldn't tell who was downstairs getting breakfast ready just by hearing the noise.

"Calm down, Princess," Kerdy said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Let's go see your family, and then we'll figure out what to do next."

Daphne swallowed hard, her throat dry, and then nodded slowly. She reached up for his hand, grasping it tightly. "Okay," she said, taking a deep breath. She knew that she wasn't going to be able to calm down until she was sure her family was okay, though.

Kerdy was very patient, reassuring Daphne as they headed downstairs. Veronica and Relda were laughing together while they cooked, both ganging up on Henry and Jake. Briar was back in baby-mode, cuddling Cory. The little boy was falling asleep in her arms, not quite ready to be awake.

Even Red and Mr. Canis were in the kitchen, with Red trying to watch the ladies cook so she could pick up a few pointers.

As Daphne took note of each member of her family, she relaxed more and more.

Then her hand tightened on Kerdy's, and she looked up at him. "Where're Puck and Sabrina?" she asked in a soft voice.

"Let's go check Sabrina's room," Kerdy said gently. "I doubt they'd be in Puck's room, but we can check there too. After all, it's still early, and they both like to sleep late."

Daphne nodded and bit her lip. After everything that had happened to Sabrina, she couldn't help but worry. "Okay," she said softly. "Thanks, Kerdy...I know I probably seem really paranoid right now."

"It's okay," Kerdy said, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing the back of it. He offered a smile, eyes warm. "You're fine. Besides, it's okay if you freak out. I'm supposed to be some kind of hero when you need me, right? Don't worry, Princess. I won't let anything bad happen."

She blushed, distracted for a moment by Kerdy's eyes. Then she shook herself slightly. This was no time to daydream, she had to check on Sabrina. "Then let's go," she said.

After finding both rooms to be empty (and getting glared at by a Sabrina-missing Celeste), Kerdy looked to Daphne. "Sabrina's been visiting Mirror, hasn't she?"

Daphne nodded slightly. "Yeah...she doesn't know who he is or that he lives in a mirror, but she's been visiting him," she replied. "Let's go check there."

"Okay," Kerdy agreed, walking Daphne and holding the door open for her. He never made her open the door for herself, or pull out her own chair.

Daphne stepped through the door and looked at the mirror. She frowned slightly. "I don't see anyone," she said. She didn't even see Mirror in the mirror. Usually he greeted them - though she supposed he could have been in one of the hall's many rooms.

Kerdy turned to her. "Maybe-"

Sabrina's cry of pain from within the Hall of Wonders made him tense.

"Princess," he said, putting both hands on her shoulders. "Go and get your parents."

"But...!" Daphne looked at Kerdy with wide, stricken eyes. She'd recognized Sabrina's voice, and she didn't' want to leave her sister. She also didn't want to leave Kerdy there.

"For me?" Kerdy asked, concern shining in his blue eyes. "Besides, someone has to let them know we need help, and you know I could never send you into danger."

He brushed his lips to hers. "See you soon, okay?"

Daphne swallowed hard after the kiss, and then nodded. "I'll be back really soon," she promised. She cast another anxious look in the direction Sabrina's voice had come from, then turned and dashed through the door to get her parents.

Kerdy watched her go, before turning back to the mirror.

The clues had all been there. Looking back, he wasn't sure how he had missed it before. Both Red and Sabrina remembered seeing their own images in dreams or nightmares, dim memories and premonitions. It had always been the symbolism of looking into a mirror. Mirror was the Master of the Scarlet Hand.

The only logical explanation Kerdy could come up with was that Sabrina had regained her memories and come to the same realization, then confronted Mirror, or that Mirror had made his move with her incapacitated by magical amnesia. Either way, he didn't want Daphne around it.

***.*.*.*.***

Sabrina's eyes fluttered open, a soft cry of pain escaping. She wasn't sure of her surroundings--just that her entire body hurt, and she didn't remember being knocked out. She also felt wonderfully tingly, like her body was being submerged in sparkling cider.

"Sabrina?" Puck had paused in cursing out Mirror when he saw her eyes open, his attention suddenly focusing on her fully. A hopeful look appeared in his eyes, but he knew she couldn't be okay.

Sabrina looked up blankly, registering Puck's voice. That was when the tingly feeling got more intense, stabbing rather than tickling. She jerked in pain. "Puck...!"

She tried to free her hands, crying out in anger when she couldn't get them. Her eyes found Mirror. "You bastard! I can't believe my family trusted you! I hate you!"

Mirror ignored her.

"What?" Puck's eyes widened. "Wait, Sabrina, you mean... you remember?" He'd assumed Mirror had triggered the bracelet to summon him, not that Sabrina had regained her memories—and in his anger, he had missed the part of Mirror's explanation that had included Sabrina's amnesia being gone.

Sabrina turned to Puck, tears stinging her jaded eyes. The same look was on her face--the one she wore when her trust had been betrayed. "I don't know why I didn't notice it sooner," she said, voice cracking from anger and the sobs she wouldn't let out. "All along, it was Mirror...!"

"Don't blame yourself," Puck said, his voice firm. "None of us realized. It's not your fault, Sabrina, he played us all." As he spoke, trying to reassure her, his heart ached. It relieved him that she had her memories back - but the sight of her expression still cut through him. Gone was the sweet innocence - and he wanted her to desperately feel that again.

But Mirror had betrayed them...especially her. It was yet another betrayal to add to a very long list.

Sabrina closed her eyes, then winced sharply in pain. "What the hell did you do to me?" she demanded.

"It won't matter soon," Mirror sighed. "But I may as well tell you. I do owe you that much."

Sabrina snarled wordlessly at him, jerking in her restraints again. All it did was cause her more pain.

"After you confronted me, I of course, knocked you out to make this easier. The bracelets I put on you are absorbing magic at an astounding rate. You see, I had to specifically use the opportunity now. You're human, and yet not. Only a human can use those bracelets, but the amount of magic I'm making you absorb will kill a normal human."

Sabrina glared at him, tears slipping down her cheeks.

"You are no normal human, Sabrina Grimm," Mirror spoke, moving closer. "You have been given the gift of magic." At her look of surprise, barely masked with fury, he chuckled. "Without your consent, I assume. The future version of Puck gifted you with his magic and immortality, taking the majority of your addiction with him as he vanished. You look so surprised... Didn't Puck attempt to tell you?"

Sabrina looked at Puck, expression slightly pained and confused. Puck glared furiously at Mirror, and then looked back to Sabrina.

"He's being a bastard, Sabrina," Puck said. "I didn't say anything because I didn't have a clue until after my mother worked her spell. After that, I didn't say anything because you couldn't remember what Everafters were, and there wasn't any way to approach it at that point. I didn't keep it from you on purpose." He met her eyes. "I wouldn't do that to you."

"I know," Sabrina whispered, voice shaking. She managed a grin at him, as if to say 'do I look like an idiot?' or something similar. "I just wanted to see if it was true. Did he--you--really?"

Another shock of pain hit, making her grit her teeth.

Puck let out a soft hiss. "Yeah, really," he said, tugging at his restraints again. He hadn't been able to use any of his powers or strength since entering the room. "How're you holding up?"

"It hurts," Sabrina whispered, trembling. "But nothing I haven't been through before. How do we get me out of here? How did you even get caught?"

"Bastard tricked me by using the bracelet," Puck said, since it was painfully obvious that Sabrina hadn't had the chance to call for him on her own, "and smashed me upside the head when I came looking for you." He glared at Mirror.

"Does anyone else know we're missing?" Sabrina whispered.

Puck scowled. "I don't know," he said. "Depends on if anyone knew you came to see Mirror. I'm probably still in my room as far as anyone is concerned."

"Crap," Sabrina whispered. "The second I remembered, I came right here..."

The next jolt of magic made her glow a little, pain in her eyes. "I'm not getting a car twice now, huh?"

"Heh, you're going to get that car one way or another," Puck said, clenching his jaw at the jolt. "I'm not giving up on us getting out of here."

"Hey, I didn't get a chance to say it when your mom went all psycho on me," Sabrina whispered. "But Puck... I love ya, fairyboy. Also, you were a really good boyfriend when I didn't remember you."

"Thanks," Puck said seriously. "And I love you, too, Grimm. And I plan on being an even _better_ boyfriend right after we get free and kick Mirror's ass."

Sabrina forced a smile, but the magic was starting to overwhelm her. Part of the wall crumbled nearby--she clearly couldn't control what she was doing.

"The pain will lessen if you free us all from this mirror, Starfish," Mirror said quietly.

"DON'T EVER CALL ME THAT!" Sabrina screamed through her pain, the tears coming faster. The name had pushed her over the edge of being calm or rational for the moment.

"Don't you dare talk to her," Puck said harshly, not screaming the way she had - he didn't have the right or reason to - but throwing the full force of his glare at Mirror. "You don't _deserve_ to talk to her."

Mirror shrugged. "Either way, she won't have a choice. She can't control it well enough to do anything to help either of you, and all of the magic in the Hall of Wonders will be too much." He pointedly didn't look at the young, struggling teenager while she composed herself again.

Puck growled, and when he tugged on the restraints, it was with even more force. "Damn, why can't I have some sort of nifty...trickster restraint-breaking power or something?" he demanded in frustration. It wasn't the time for jokes, however lame - he knew that, but the sight of Sabrina's pain hurt _him_, and he needed to keep focused to try and figure something out.

"Because you're a friggin dork," Sabrina whispered, closing her eyes.

She tried not to think about Mirror being right. She tried not to think about how overwhelmed she was feeling. The magic was all at her fingertips, but any time she tried to let go of it, let it flow, then it crackled right out of her control and broke something. The next wave pushed her over the edge—she had to let the magic out.

***.*.*.*.***

"Mom!" Daphne cried as she rushed down the stairs, taking them two at a time until she got to the bottom and dashed into the kitchen. "Dad! Come quick, hurry, there's trouble, please!"

Henry looked up, as did Relda, and Mr. Canis frowned slightly. The tone of Daphne's voice wasn't one she normally used.

Veronica turned immediately, expression concerned. "What's going on, and where is Kerdy?" she asked, going to her youngest daughter.

Cory continued to sleep in Briar's arms, unaware and content. Briar was soft. And warm. Briar glanced down at Cory, and then looked at Veronica and bit her lip. Daphne's tone was alarming, and Briar just hoped Cory remained asleep and didn't wake up, or he'd become alarmed, too.

"Kerdy's upstairs in Mirror's room, the flower the Kerdy gave me is withering and it's because someone in my family is in danger and when we went looked for Sabrina we checked Mirror and we heard her scream and Kerdy told me to come get you and Dad!" Daphne finished her sentence by rushing to her father's arm insistently.

Relda's eyes widened, and she tensed as she looked at her sons. Sabrina, screaming? They hadn't heard anything, which meant...the Hall of Wonders?

"With Mirror?" Veronica demanded.

Jake stood. "Briar, stay with Cory," he said, kissing her head. "Hank? Let's go find out what's going on."

"I'm coming with you," Veronica insisted.

Briar bit her lip, and then nodded, holding Cory closer to her chest.

Henry reached for Veronica's hand. "Even if I told you no, you'd come anyway," he said, "so let's go. Mom - you better stay here."

"I'm coming as well," Mr. Canis said, stepping towards them.

"I should go too, then!" Red said, quickly moving to follow.

"Red, please stay behind," Veronica said, moving for the stairs with Henry. They didn't get far, nor did they get to argue a moment longer. An explosion rocked the top of the house, knocking most of them to the ground and sending any loose objects off their tables. Jake tossed something from his jacket that poofed open like a portable pillow to catch Briar and Cory.

Briar fell backwards into the pillow, holding Cory protectively when she felt herself get thrown off her feet, as Henry stumbled and lost his own footing, falling to the ground with surprise.

"What...the hell was that?" Henry asked, too stunned to think about censoring himself. He felt himself go pale.

Daphne, though, was paler than any of them. "I-it came from upstairs...!" Sabrina was upstairs. Puck was probably upstairs, too. And Kerdy... Kerdy had _also_ been upstairs!

Cory awoke and began crying immediately, not liking how he had gone from one place to another without warning. His parents had no time to comfort him, though, as the answer presented itself.

The stairs were gone, but the second half of the house was being absorbed and vanishing, still floating in place. As this happened, they got a full view of a small room where Puck, Sabrina, and Mirror all remained. The rest of the Hall of Wonders was hidden, and Kerdy was nowhere in sight.

Sabrina screamed as the magic pulsed through her again--it was no longer painful. It was simply overwhelming. Her scream forced another portion of the house to explode, and every magical item Jake had was fading or vanishing, rushing towards the golden bracelets Sabrina wore in a misty, violent aura that only Daphne could see.

It didn't matter if Daphne was the only one that could identify the cause on sight, though. Relda, Jake, Henry, and Veronica (though all but Relda had never seen the bracelets Sabrina wore) all knew what the golden trinkets were capable of. And by association, what they were doing to Sabrina.

When Daphne saw the aura that was wrapping around her sister, she'd felt as if the breath had been knocked out of her. She didn't notice Puck, or process the fact that Mirror was there - her attention was on Sabrina and the aura. The aura was every indication that something was very, very wrong...and her sister was in great danger.

Then she let out a sudden whimper. Where...where was Kerdy?

"_Nein_," Relda whispered suddenly as she slowly pushed herself up, sitting on the floor and staring up at her granddaughter numbly. She could see Puck's mouth moving - it looked like he was shouting Sabrina's name, but his voice was being drowned out by everything else. Relda looked over at her sons, her eyes wide with horror.

Jake had gone still, feeling like he couldn't breathe. He didn't hear his mother, or Henry and Veronica shouting Sabrina's name. He didn't even hear Cory crying.

"We're screwed," he whispered, hair whipping around him while more magic got absorbed. Though it drained Puck's magic and abilities, the bracelets left normal Everafters untouched. While Jake was glad that Briar wouldn't be hurt by the draining, he was positive Sabrina would go on an unintentional spree of destruction. Everyone was in danger.

Mirror turned, seeing the others in the kitchen and not caring. It was obvious by his cold demeanor that everything was going according to plan for him.

The realization hit Henry with a jolt. "_Mirror!_" he shouted furiously, pushing himself to his feet as he stared up at the little man. His face was lit up with rage as it sunk in that Mirror was the one putting his daughter in mortal danger.

And he had no way to help her. The second floor was _gone_ - the stairs were there, but going up them would be pointless by now. He couldn't get to Sabrina. And as he thought that, the stairs vanished, leaving floating floors and doors that were too far out of their reach.

"Ouch!" Red stumbled again as the remains of the house shook, knocking her towards the ground. She managed to grab onto Mr. Canis, clutching his arm. "Papa, we have to do something!"

Mr. Canis pulled Red closer to him, keeping her from being at risk of falling again. Despite his apparent age, the wolf in him gave him the balance he needed to stay on his feet even as the others had trouble. And despite Red's words, there was really nothing they could do. All he could do was keep Red safe from the falling debris or violent tremors.

Mirror regarded the group calmly, almost amused when Jake grabbed Henry and tried to help give Veronica some kind of boost to get to them. It wasn't like there was anything they could do.

Cory's crying only got louder as he heard Sabrina scream again. The shaking got worse, magic glowing so brightly it lit the skies like a beacon to anyone who could see it. Most of the roof had vanished.

All of Ferryport Landing shook at the core.

Briar cupped the back of Cory's hair and stroked it, whispering to him in an effort to try and calm him, knowing that the only thing that would work would be his sister safe and no longer screaming. She watched as Elvis made his way over to Relda, and Relda caught his collar, her gaze fixed on Mirror now.

Her mouth felt dry. It didn't seem possible, but she couldn't deny the cold, hard truth now - the Master who had been plotting against her family for so long now was none other than Mirror himself. Seeing him there now, everything else seemed to fall into place. _How _could she have been so blind?

"Why?" Relda turned her head slightly as Daphne's whispered question, seeing her youngest granddaughter sitting on the ground, staring up at Sabrina, Puck, and Mirror with a wide-eyed, horrified look on her face. Tears gathered in Daphne's eyes. "Why?"

Despite the loud noises, Mirror heard Daphne. "I don't expect you to understand," he said simply. It was clear every person had figured it out--that he was the Master. And he didn't care.

As more sections of the Hall of Wonders dissolved, a frown began to touch his features. Had he underestimated the amount of magic Sabrina would absorb? It should have been more...

The answer revealed itself in the form of another set of walls stripping away, as Veronica cursed at Mr. Canis, trying to get him to help. It didn't matter if he helped; the bracelets couldn't be removed, and no one there was willing to kill Sabrina to avert the catastrophe.

But there was one person who had decided to damn the consequences. In one room of the Hall of Wonders, Kerdy grabbed the next magic potion off of a half empty shelf and drank it with a wince, scowling at the bitter taste. The floor was littered with magical items he had either absorbed into himself or used up so they would no longer be magic. As a result, his shirt had been ripped apart by brilliant angel wings that flared from his back, still sore from having literally sprouted through his skin, and his aura was chaotic from the mixes of magic. There were dozens of enchantments clinging to him, magic fusing to him rather than be absorbed. It was starting to consume him.

Mirror's eyes narrowed sharply at the sight, and he gave an audible growl of displeasure.

As Kerdy came into view, his presence drew everyone's attention to him - even Puck's for a moment, simply because the sight of Kerdy was utterly startling.

"_Kerdy!_" Daphne shouted, and with a burst of speed she scrambled to her feet, standing up and staring at him with her hands clapped over her mouth. What was he doing? She was distracted from the wings by the chaos in his aura - she'd never seen an aura as wild as his. It was nothing like how it normally looked.

Jake nearly dropped Veronica, who still couldn't reach the floor to climb up and try to kill Mirror. She froze as well, staring at the boy.

Kerdy turned at his name, expression pained at the sight of Daphne. He turned back to the magical items. "I heard Mirror's plan," he called down to the group. "And I'm trying to ruin it!"

"Do you-" Sabrina broke off with another cry as the ground shook, magic pulsing through her violently. "Have any idea--how stupid--that--is?"

"No one asked you, Grimm!" Kerdy tried to joke, hands shaking as he grabbed another magic potion. "You can't take the magic from a non-fairy Everafter, don't be so greedy!"

"N-not... Gr..." Sabrina couldn't finish her words, tears still sliding down her cheeks as she absorbed another large chunk of magic. The bracelets felt like they were searing into her skin--and the worst part of the experience was that it made her start to like the overwhelming rush of too much magic again.

"Sabrina!" Puck shouted, and now those below them could hear his words. "You can survive this, Sabrina. I know you - you're too strong and too stubborn to let something like this take you over. Fight it, Sabrina!" If he could have, he would have done the same thing Kerdy was doing - but held in place like he was, he could only do the other thing he was capable of. Supporting Sabrina.

Tears welled up in Daphne's eyes as she watched Kerdy, and listened to Puck. There had to be something that they could do. That _she_ could do.

Sabrina shook her head, crying out again in pain. The last room of magic she was trying to absorb happened to be the one Kerdy was sabotaging. But Kerdy couldn't last forever--the magic was starting to take a toll on him as well. It was almost like he was intentionally sacrificing himself to try and save Sabrina and her family.

"Fool," Mirror said, shaking his head. "It will not be enough. You will die for nothing."

"Ya know," Kerdy said, putting on another binding magical item. He had many rings on, as well as a magic belt. "I used to be a total wuss. I used to be scared of the Scarlet Hand. But I'm not anymore--don't get me wrong, I'm scared out of my freaking mind right now… But not of you."

He grabbed a potion, looked at it briefly, then smashed it. The magic used itself up before Sabrina could absorb it.

Daphne bit her lip hard, shaking a little - a hand landed on her shoulder as Henry came up to his daughter. She didn't look at him, but she knew it was him. All of her attention was focused on Kerdy and Sabrina.

Though at that moment, more on Kerdy. The longer she watched his aura, watched him absorb magic, the more frightened she became.

She didn't want to lose Sabrina, and she didn't want to lose Kerdy, but it was looking more and more like she was going to lose one of them.

Veronica joined Henry, no longer trying to climb up and kill Mirror. What was the point? The only ones in control of anything were Kerdy and Sabrina.

As Kerdy beat Sabrina to the last magical item, the bracelets began to glow. They had drained every last piece of magic from Ferryport Landing, save for the ones Kerdy had gotten, and the ones Daphne already had.

"Puck...!" Sabrina gasped, closing her eyes and trying to wrench her arms free as the magic built up again, confined within her and desperate to surge free. Mirror glanced back at the assembled group, knowing that no one would be able to follow him as he jumped down and ran, leaving the crumbled house behind. After all, everyone had a loved one who was now in danger. The tremors were splitting parts of the earth.

It hardly seemed important anymore that Mirror was escaping - not with everything that was going on around them. All attention was focused on Sabrina and Kerdy. Briar had gotten to her feet and gone over to Jake, still holding the crying Cory in her arms.

Pain crossed Puck's face as he watched the girl he loved more than anything in such obvious desperation and pain. "I'm here, Sabrina," he said. He swallowed hard. "I'm not going anywhere, okay? I'm right here. With you."

The bindings on Sabrina and Puck's wrists broke. The barrier to Ferryport Landing shattered. All of the restraints were gone.

The floating patch of floor they were on remained in place, though the one beneath Kerdy had crumbled away. He managed to flutter in a manner resembling a drunken butterfly to the ground, wings too sore to use and body too weak to support him.

Sabrina grabbed her head in her hands and fell from a sitting position to all fours, pressing her cheek to the ground as she cried. Magic built up again, the tremors widening enough to make people clutch at their loved ones and move them to safer ground.

The moment Puck was free, he staggered forward a step and then ran to Sabrina. He didn't care how much magic was building up around her - it didn't stop him from falling to his knees and pulling her into his arms. "Sabrina," he whispered. "I'm here."

Daphne yanked away from Henry and Veronica suddenly and ran to Kerdy, prepared to either hug him when he was standing or try to catch him if he couldn't stand at all.

Veronica stifled a cry with her hand, rushing after Daphne. A chasm opened up almost immediately between them, catching her off balance and narrowly avoiding the youngest Grimm girl.

The not-so-lucky Veronica fell, crying out and grabbing onto the remains of the floor in an attempt to stop herself from falling into the abyss. Simultaneously, Kerdy hit his knees and Jake shielded both Briar and Cory from a rain of debris from walls and ceilings splitting apart.

"Veronica!" Henry shouted. He rushed forward and went onto his stomach, grasping his wife's arm to pull her up. "Hang on!" He stared at her with a look of fierce determination.

Daphne reached Kerdy and held onto him as he went to his knees, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Kerdy," she whispered, her voice shaking.

Mr. Canis was doing his best to shield Red, Relda, and Elvis. The house was coming down around them, and he was trying to look for a way out - but with the way everything was cracking and splitting, nothing seemed safe.

Kerdy wrapped his arms tightly around Daphne. "Sorry Princess," he whispered. "I was trying to be a hero for you."

The walls split apart, giving an opening for the others to get out. With half the house missing, it had been awkward to find a way to escape--now it seemed easier, if one could avoid the debris and chasms. Jake pushed Briar and Cory to Mr. Canis, since the opening was near them. Then he joined Henry on the ground, trying to help pull Veronica up. It was like the world was coming apart.

Daphne buried herself in Kerdy's arms, pressing her face against his shoulder. "You are," she whispered. "You are, Kerdy."

"Jake!" Briar cried, clutching Cory against her chest as she turned to stare at her husband helping his brother with Veronica.

Mr. Canis seized Briar's arm and pulled her towards the opening, ushering her right out with Red, Relda, and Elvis. Briar desperately didn't want to let Jake out of her sight, but she also knew that she had to take care of Cory.

Kerdy pressed his face into Daphne's hair, then shielded her with his wings as more debris rained down. "Daphne..." he murmured. "My Princess..." His aura twisted painfully. "If I was your hero, then I'll die happy."

Daphne closed her eyes. She didn't want to die...but if that's what was going to happen, and she wasn't naive enough anymore to think it wasn't a possibility, then she wanted to be with Kerdy when it did. "Don't leave me," she whispered. "Please."

Kerdy tightened his arms around Daphne. "Never," he whispered.

The sounds assaulted Sabrina on every level. She tried to hold in the magic, or to make it do what she wanted, but it wouldn't listen. It fought her, clawing at her insides like a caged animal. Letting go made the pain stop, but it only caused pain for others.

She couldn't even feel the hot tears sliding down her cheeks as Puck held her, body wracked with spasms and convulsions that she couldn't stop. "P...Puck..."

Puck tightened his arms around her. He knew that it was very likely that whatever happened to Sabrina would happen to him, and he didn't give a damn. "I'm right here," he said quietly. "I'm not leaving you, Sabrina. Whatever happens, it'll happen to both of us."

"No," Sabrina pleaded, gripping her head so hard that she felt and heard hair ripping a little. "Puck, stop---stop me!" Her voice was desperate. She was asking him the one thing he hadn't been able to do in the alternate timeline where she had been a heartless killer.

She was asking him to end her life to save everyone else.

The stricken expression that appeared on Puck's face was heartbreaking. "You can't...!" He couldn't find the words to finish the sentence. She couldn't be asking him to do that... the one thing that he couldn't bear the thought of. The blood drained from his face as he stared at her in horror.

"Please," she turned her tortured blue eyes to gaze at him, red-rimmed and overflowing with tears. "Puck, I can't... I can't do anyth...thing..." She bit her lip as hard as she could, moving one hand to clutch at his arm instead of her own head. "Please..."

Puck swallowed hard. "Sabrina," he whispered, his voice hoarsely as he gazed down at her eyes. "I love you. No matter what... I'm always going to love you." His own eyes glistened with tears. He couldn't stand to see her in such pain.

"Then help me!" Sabrina cried, voice breaking in a desperate scream. "I'm hurting everyone! Please!"

She clutched his arm hard enough that her nails dug into his skin, drawing blood.

"I can't," Puck said, raw pain in his voice. "I can't do it, Sabrina... I can't hurt you!" Just the thought of it made him want to be sick.

"Please," Sabrina pleaded again, doubling over and no longer able to look at him. "Puck..." The magic began to build into the next surge.

On the ground below, Kerdy's wings shuddered, and his heart stopped beating. Daphne's name carried on his last breath, and then his aura was completely gone.

***.*.*.*.***

**A/N:**

**Ayns: **zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzIloveyouguyszzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

**Sky: **XD Love us? Hopefully we'll update much faster. I'm going back to Raleigh tomorrow night(tonight by now?) and the internet will be limited again, but we'll do our best. And yes, this story STILL has a happy ending! R/R guys, despite my upbeat happy attitude, some bad crap has been making me very sad, and the reviews we've gotten have been making me happy again ^^ So THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WONDERFUL REVIEWERS, HOLY CRAP ^^

**Thanks to the reviewers since the last chapter was posted: Viva-Musica, Trickster Queen464, Lilyflower-314, ACertainPeanutButterSandwich, SeekDreamsAndFindHope, Curlscat, iD Sisters Grimm iD, flyingdolphinpuppies, Cookie-Dough-Always, chemicalsilver, Aquamarine Jazz, gothicgal000, emerald and onyx, Hannah, msjezzi-bella, Lyla Domae, obsessedwithbooks, NotSoNormal, ILoveGeorgeCooper, Lara D, **(Um… Going verbatim here…) **fix ur story or else, **(By the way, what is your problem? XD), **-flying-dreaming-dancing-, Lumiere Nordiques, mucho gravy-o, Harmony352, pixiewings00, Grrrgirl1, Amy, Blue-Eyed-Lily, Aisha, DragonFly7312, Zeorzia, knoxalot, Ryuks-Poizun-Apples, MGleason, KittyPryde90, sasha **(Didn't you see the warning? We're insane and I'm mean! :D), **RANDOMNESS, **(Thank you ^^ That's very sweet) **DarrenShanIsMine, amethystdolphin, blondeandshort, **(To clarify, that happened in an alternate timeline ^^;; ) **BigBooksRock, TI, Laterose, ohnoDK, cullen-grimm-ride, **(sorry! Hope the first AN cleared it up XD), **Horsegirl99, **and **WelcomeToTheHimalayas! **(Also, I went back and fixed that typo, thank you!)

*deep breath*

Wow! Luvvies guys :D

**Fun Fact #44230: **This is the only fun fact for this chapter right now (Look for more in a possible companion's guide!) The one-winged angel reference from Sabrina's dream is something I first read about from my favorite video game, Xenogears. There are two statues in a church in the video game of angels with one wing each reaching for each other. I love it.


	34. The Price of Magic

**EDIT: Sky: Re-Added scene skips.**

**A/N:**

**Sky:** Wow. Don't kill me, guys. Holy crap! But really, you won't change the plot. We've already decided on a lot of it. And some of the reviewers really just… Astounded me. I'm a tad annoyed. From people reading below the appropriate rating and then complaining to people who skimmed and felt like making a big deal out of a detail they missed… I wish I could say I loved all the reviews this time around, but it was actually about… 49/53 of them that I loved XD So thank you to the awesome reviewers who actually just enjoy the story (and kinda wanna kill me for what I did to Kerdy, yeesh XD)

**Ayns:** I'm going to have to agree with Sky on the bit about the reviews. We do love hearing what our readers think, but... sometimes they're a little over the top. As much as we want people to enjoy our story, and we respect people's personal feelings, ultimately they aren't going to change the way that we write our story. If that means that some people wish to stop reading our story because they aren't comfortable with the subject material within for whatever reason, then that's the choice of that person. We try to make it very clear when our chapters contain more mature content.

And... We're sorry about Kerdy, please don't come after us with spatulas of doom, remember that we love him too!

**Sky: **In any case, I'm still out of town til November, so please be patient with us and the spaced updating. And know that a whole lot of fluff will be coming soon. Anywhoo, I'll also be posting a guide to this story soon, with some FAQs, and we'll be getting the rest of the one-shots out eventually. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

***.*.*.*.***

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter Thirty-Four: The Price of Magic_**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

The building shook again, prompting another terrified cry from the little girl who had a death grip on her mother's sweater. With the force of this quake, the windows seemed dead set on shaking right out of their frames.

Snow cupped the back of Cassia's head, hiding her face protectively as she hurried down the hall towards the front door of the mansion. Her heart was in her throat - the earthquakes were getting worse and worse, and she was sure that the house wasn't going to be safe for much longer.

Cassia had been taking a nap when the quakes had started, and Snow had rushed immediately to the nursery to grab her now crying daughter. Now the only problem was... where was her husband?

"Billy!" Snow shouted, the house literally a mass of creaks and groans as its very foundation shook. "Billy?"

At once, William was behind his wife and daughter, hand firm against Snow's back. "This way," he said, expression tight and worried. "The house is coming down, and we need to get outside."

The tremors were spaced far enough apart that they threw off his balance every time he moved. He had been in his home-office looking over files and paperwork when the feeling of dread hit. Something was clearly wrong--Ferryport Landing wasn't prone to natural disaster. This meant the current predicament was most likely a straight-up disaster.

At the sound of William's voice, Cassia's cries died down to whimpers. She pulled back her face, staring up at her father with tear-stained cheeks and a runny nose as she sniffled at him.

"What's happening?" Snow asked, tightening her arms around Cassia as she rushed with William towards the door. "Ferryport Landing's never had an earthquake before...we've never had more than a thunderstorm."

"I'm not sure yet," William said, ushering her down the hall and knocking away anything that fell too close. "But nothing good. Come darling, I won't let anything bad happen to either of you."

His voice was meant to be soothing, but it sounded stressed as one of their many chandeliers crashed to the ground nearby.

Snow winced, and Cassia hid her face against as the sound of breaking glass echoed around them. She couldn't hide her anxiety, or the slight tremble in her as they rushed for the doors. She wasn't a timid person - but no amount of self-defense training could protect against an earthquake.

William cursed lightly, but he managed to get both of them to safety as pieces of the house fell.

In the spacious front yard, he stopped short and stared up at the sky, hands tensing on Snow's back and arm. "Dear god..."

Snow stopped and lifted her head to look up at the sky as well, not liking the tone of William's voice at all.

William moved his hand from Snow's arm to cup the back of Cassia's head. All around them, the barrier was crackling and glowing, looking ready to burst. There was no way any Everafter would be ignorant to the imminent destruction of their cage.

"Oh, gods," Snow whispered, her breath catching as she stared at the barrier. "William, that's... but how..." Normally the barrier was invisible to the eye - but now it was anything but. She took a step back, pressing closer against William.

"Stay close to me, Snow," William murmured, kissing her head. "Whatever happens, just stay close to me."

Snow nodded, as Cassia tilted her head up to look at her parents. "Da," she said in a small, anxious voice. "Ma."

Her mother looked down, and then kissed the top of her head. "It's all right, Cassia," she murmured. "It'll be all right."

***.*.*.*.***

Gerda stood outside of her home with her family as the foundation shook and crumbled. She'd been feeling uneasy all morning, but the tremors and the glowing barrier within walking distance of their home had nothing to do with it.

"Are you okay, mom?" Garret asked again. He had jokingly stated earlier that the odds of the older siblings' visit landing on another catastrophe had to be slim, but there they were. "You didn't cut yourself on any broken glass, did you?"

He had his arms around his twin, both of them coddling Gerda a little. She turned to look at them, shaking her head slowly. "No, I'm fine... I just... Feel worried."

"Understandable," Garret said. "Our house is about to collapse. The barrier's radioactive. Or something."

"Or something is right," Kai said, wrapping his arms around his wife and holding her close to him. His expression was tight and concerned, and next to them, Forse wore a near-identical look. Their eyes were on the barrier.

Rae shifted closer to Garret. "I don't like this," he said. He shook his head slightly. "I don't like this at _all_."

Gerda's expression was calm as she stared to the glowing barrier. A moment later, a spider web fracture appeared on the mostly smooth barrier, splintering along the entire thing. Before anyone had a chance to point it out, the barrier shattered like a broken window, the pieces raining down and vanishing in mid-air.

"The barrier..." Garret whispered, eyes wide.

Forse took a slight step forward, his mouth going dry. "I don't believe it," he said numbly. "The barrier is just..."

"Gone," Kai finished, tightening his arms around Gerda. He couldn't hide his shock. They had all lived with the barrier for so long that it seemed...impossible that it wasn't there.

"Are these earthquakes because the barrier was breaking?" Rae asked shakily. He gripped Garret's shirt a little.

"Maybe," Garret said. "Daijoubu, otouto," he switched to Japanese, knowing it would calm Rae down to hear it. After all, it was the language they'd learned as children rather than invent a secret code. Now that they were older, he only used a few words at a time--especially because Gerda always made a cute, albeit annoyed face when she had no idea what they were saying.

Rae looked up at his brother, some of the anxiety leaving his eyes. "Hai, aniki," he said, smiling. He was still anxious, but the words always had a calming effect on him, just as Garret had anticipated.

Gerda turned to smile at her twins, seeing them as she always had. Little boys with messy hair and smudges on their cheeks. As a mother of four boys, she had been active for a long time, playing with them and often getting scrapes of her own. Forse had been the most studious, preferring to be read to, while Garret and Rae had climbed and broken almost everything within their reach. By association, Forse had joined in and playfully wreaked havoc on the household.

Kerdy, the youngest by far, had always been a gentle and sweet child. Angelic by nature, and always dreaming. He'd been the least adventurous by far, often scared of harmless and unfamiliar bugs or animals. They'd teased him and tossed him around, loving his desire to be a protector when oddly colored butterflies made him cry as a child.

Those were the memories and thoughts Gerda had a moment before a piercing pain raced through her, the feeling of loss hitting her hard. Her face paled, and she didn't hear Garret or Rae calling her name as she stumbled, tears welling up in her eyes. She didn't notice Kai or Forse reflexively catching her, holding her so she didn't hit the ground when her knees gave out. The uneasy feeling she'd had all morning made much more sense now--instinctively, she had known she would suffer a horrible loss. A mother losing her child.

"Kerdy...!"

***.*.*.*.***

Daphne felt a chill rush through her body. It took her a moment to realize the cause of it...no. She realized the cause the moment it happened. It took her a moment to _accept_ that it was the cause.

She stared at the boy in her arms, her eyes wide with fear and horror. "Kerdy?" she whispered. She wasn't moving, or breathing... and his aura had vanished from her sight.

The sweet, comforting white of his aura, even in the turmoil it had been in since he'd started absorbing the magic...just...gone.

"Kerdy?" she said again, pitching her voice higher. Hot tears pricked her eyes. "Kerdy?"

When she got no response, Daphne couldn't hold in the tears anymore. They spilled down her cheeks, her arms tightening around Kerdy and holding him against her chest as she cried against him. "No!" she said, her heart aching so hard she felt as if she was in physical pain. "Kerdy, no!"

She gripped him so tightly her hands started to ache, but nothing could override the sharp pains in her heart. "Kerdy, please!" she ignored everything around her, hair untangling from the braids she always wore. "Please wake up!" Though she shook him and cried his name, nothing would wake him. He didn't open his eyes and give her a soft smile. He would never wipe her tears away with the gentle stroke of his hand, and promise her everything would be okay. The white pendant she had given him was dull and covered in blood.

"Please!" She cried again, unable to take the idea that the last words he'd spoken, the last kiss he'd given her, the last time he'd smiled at her, would all be final. The desperation clawed at her with such intensity that her heart clenched and her throat tightened to the point of physical pain. "Kerdy! Kerdy, please wake up!"

Sobbing harshly, Daphne pressed her face into his chest and held him tight, feeling the warmth of his body leaving. The lifeless wings that he had gained through the very magic that killed him were the perfect personification of what he had been. An angel. A warm, loving, angel.

And now his warmth was leaving forever. Leaving Daphne.

The look on his still face was peaceful as she cried for him, even though his body had been wracked with pain at all the uncomfortable magic he had absorbed. Blood and grime clung to him, remains of debris and the painful ripping his wings had caused. The last trickle of magic slid down his cheek like a tear, sparkling.

Thankfully, the magic had died with him, and Sabrina wasn't forced to absorb more.

Unfortunately, it looked like she had still absorbed too much. Her scream drowned out Veronica shouting Daphne's name.

Sabrina gripped Puck even tighter, shaking her head as the burst of magic gathering began to overwhelm her again. She was out of options--the only one she could think of still involved him killing her.

Puck clutched Sabrina tighter. His wings flapped once, and then again, wrapping around her as if to help hold her to him, to re-emphasize the fact that he wasn't going to let her go.

"I'm not going to leave you," Puck said fiercely, his eyes glimmering gold, a color they had never reflected before - but then, he had never felt such an intense, overwhelming sense of determination before. Nothing compared to the force of emotion that he felt within him now as he looked down at her.

Sabrina forced herself to lift her head, blue eyes glowing again with the magic. Her own wings sprouted free, as if trying to push his away. They were emerald green, their shape identical to his, and her hair whipped around her. Parts of their clothes ripped from the vicious wind around them, and she shook her head with a soft cry. "Puck...! I c... I can't..."

Her emotions were plain to see in her eyes--she was afraid, in pain, and filled with despair. She had given up.

Puck's golden eyes met her blue, his hair whipping around his face from the force of the wind. "Damn it, Grimm," he said forcefully. "Yes, you can!"

Before she could respond, he tightened his arms around her and pulled her to him, pressing his mouth against hers, emotion rolling out of him and into her. He poured everything he had into it, every reassurance, and every ounce of determination.

He was with her. And he was not going to let her give up.

Sabrina's eyes widened briefly at the kiss. Both because the kiss had startled her, and because the magical surge that had been building up was redirecting itself.

_'Puck...!' _She closed her eyes tightly, clutching his arms again. She didn't know what was going to happen. All she could be sure of was that Puck was with her--and he wasn't leaving.

Puck's wings spread wide, his arms holding her to him so that there was nothing between them, not an inch of space separating their bodies as he sealed his mouth over hers. He closed his eyes, feeling the magic build up around them, and not once did it ever occur to him to let her go.

Mirror had been absolutely right - at this moment, the most important thing to Puck was Sabrina. And he would never leave her side.

A brilliant light surrounded the teens as they kissed, forcing anyone who looked at them to turn away. It enveloped every living and non-living thing for miles and miles, freezing everything in place. Stopping time.

***.*.*.*.***

The tingling sensation of magic raced through Sabrina's blood, through her skin and her lips to Puck, until she felt her body relaxing, able to handle it.

She drew back from the kiss with a look of confusion, unaware of what had just happened as she knelt in white nothingness with Puck. A large book lay next to their knees while they held each other.

Puck stared at Sabrina for a moment, his eyes slightly wide as he realized that something very...unexpected and strange was happening. Maybe it was the nothingness around them that clued him in. He didn't know.

"Sabrina," he said. "What..." His voice trailed off as he caught a glimpse of the shape near their knees, and looked down. "What's that?"

Stunned, she simply looked down. "Um... It's a book?"

She reached for it with one hand, her other still clutching his arm.

"I can see it's a book, but...what's it a book of?" Puck asked. "And why is it here? For that matter, where are we?"

He placed one hand over the one that was clutching his arm, squeezing it lightly.

Sabrina turned to him again, swallowing. "I don't know the answer to any of that. But... I don't hurt as much. And the magic... It feels like I can control it now."

Puck took a deep breath - he could feel magic humming through his body, a slow and steady throb, and far more than he had ever held before. "I took some of it," he said. "Some of the magic that you were absorbing...actually, I think I took a _lot_ of it."

Sabrina took a deep breath. "Kerdy... I heard Daphne. Is Kerdy...?"

Puck's expression turned grim, and heavy. "I think..." He took a deep breath, and the let it out slowly, regret filling his face. "I don't think he made it."

"...Any more of that magic and I wouldn't have made it, Puck... Even with your help. Kerdy must have taken enough so..." She felt her throat constrict, forcing the words back. Hot tears stung her vision. "When does it end? Why does it always have to be this way?"

"I don't know," Puck said quietly. He closed his eyes, and then pulled her into his arms again. "God, I wish I did. This never should have happened. Not like this."

"It's never over," Sabrina whispered, burying her face in his chest. She still held the unknown book in one hand. "It's always something else. The danger, the drama, the betrayal... It never ends, does it? I... I almost wish I hadn't remembered anything."

"There's been good times with the bad, though," Puck said softly. He placed his hand on the back of her head, slowly stroking her hair. "But I swear, if there were anything I could do to fix this... I'd do it in a heartbeat, Sabrina." Pain filled his eyes. "I just don't know what to do."

_"Open the book."_

Sabrina stilled at the unfamiliar voice. It was neither male nor female, and she was sure she'd never heard it before in her life. It seemed to come from all around them.

Puck looked up sharply, a chill running through him. "Holy crap, I'm hearing things," he said. "Or am I? Did you hear that?"

"I heard it too," Sabrina whispered, pulling back from him a little.

_"Of course you heard it. I am speaking to you both. Sabrina Grimm, open the book."_

Shuddering, Sabrina looked down to the majestic book, opening it with one hand and bracing it against the ground. Thick white pages stared back, all of them blank. "It's... Empty."

_"It is waiting for you to return the magic to it, and change any piece you would like. Sabrina Grimm, that is the Book of Everafter."_

"...The book of what?" Sabrina asked, sounding clueless.

"The book of Everafter?" Puck echoed, feeling just as confused as Sabrina as he stared down at the blank, white pages of the book. This was definitely not something he'd been expecting - but it had to be real, because he didn't think any amount of his imagination could have dreamed _this_ up.

_"It was a magical book that contained every tale ever lived by Everafters. Altering the stories within would alter the life outside."_

Sabrina looked down at the book. "You mean... I could change Mirror's story so that he never had a chance to betray my family?" she whispered.

"Whoa." Puck's eyes widened, staring down at the book and looked at it in an entirely new way. "So basically...this book would like...make us gods or something."

Sabrina clutched the book, letting go of Puck and gripping it with both hands. "I could make it so my family never suffered... I could rewrite history, and make it so Uncle Jake never accidentally killed grandpa! And Daphne and I would never have had to go into foster care!"

Puck nodded - but then he paused. "But, Sabrina... if you change that much in the past, how would that change the future?" He looked at her.

Sabrina hesitated. She turned to look at Puck, frowning a bit. "I'm... Not sure. But it'll still be better, right?"

"I don't know," Puck said honestly. "I mean, say you change all of the bad things into good things. How do we know that that won't turn the good times that existed into bad times?" He took a deep breath, and pushed his hand through his hair. "What if we rewrote history...and you and I never met?"

She shuddered. "Well... We can write in that we met, can't we? I mean, even if we did this... No matter what, right Puck?"

Puck looked down at the book, and then at her. "Yeah," he said softly, reaching for her hand. He grasped it, and brushed his thumb over her knuckles. "No matter what. We're in this together, Sabrina."

Sabrina let him take her hand, guiding it away from the book. "Hey voice... Can we change it however we want?"

_"For every action, there is a reaction, child. See for yourself, you need only speak your desire, and allow the magic to do the rest."_

Taking a deep breath, Sabrina looked to the blank pages. "How about... Grandpa Basil was never killed."

The page spelled out the tale of Basil Grimm's death, but as per Sabrina's request, his death was avoided. Unfortunately, as she read the story, she found the flaw. In avoiding Basil Grimm's death, she had caused Jake's. It was as if the Jabberwocky would always take the life of a Grimm, and she didn't even want to speak the option of saving Jake too—what if her father's name replaced Jake's in the story? The voice was making more sense to her now, and she didn't like it.

"...That is made of _suck," _Sabrina whispered. "Erase it!"

The writing vanished.

"Yep, that was definitely a suckfest," Puck said with a shudder. "So I guess we can't just pick and choose how it goes, can we?" At least they were able to see what would happen and say no if they wanted to.

"Maybe... Add in all the history until... Until Mirror kidnapped my parents," Sabrina said softly.

The pages of the book filled, adding in every fairytale that had always been there. As it wrote itself, the magic seemed to drain from both Puck and Sabrina in small doses, giving the book the power it needed.

A shiver rippled through Puck again. "Whoa," he whispered. "I can feel it being pulled out of me, bit by bit... I wonder if this is what a balloon feels like when it loses air?" He stared down at the pages, watching the fairytale unfold.

"Something like that... But it's not like we need all this magic... I don't want it," Sabrina shook her head. "Okay Puck--we're at the part where Mirror had my parents kidnapped for the Scarlet Hand. Maybe if..." She focused on the book. "Mirror never formed the Scarlet Hand."

The book conformed to her specifications again, allowing her to see a future her family could have had. The flood of words on the page made Sabrina shudder. If she kept that alteration, then not only would she never meet Puck, but Cory would never be born, Cassia would never be born... Bluebeard would never be killed, Sabrina would never go through the conversion to be a fairy, Kerdy would never stop aging for Daphne...

She shuddered. "Erase it."

The words all vanished.

"So I guess we have no choice - Mirror's got to form the Scarlet Hand." Puck scowled. That would have solved a lot of problems...but the consequences were too great. "Okay, what about if Mirror forms the Scarlet Hand, but your parents never get kidnapped?"

Sabrina looked at Puck with bright eyes, then turned back to the book. "Mirror never kidnaps Henry and Veronica Grimm."

She read the reactions with a heavy heart. Instead, her parents were killed, and Daphne was kidnapped in their place. Sabrina didn't even finish reading how that one went before she told the book to erase it.

Feeling heavy-hearted, Sabrina turned to Puck. "There's no way for me to put my family through less pain, is there?" she whispered.

Puck looked at her, and reached out, brushing his fingers against her cheek. "Doesn't look like it," he said softly. "I'm sorry, Sabrina...I know you wanted to spare them that."

Sabrina closed her eyes. "What good is it if I can change the book, when it won't make things better?"

_"To alter the past is to alter the future, always. It is your choice, Sabrina Grimm, to weigh the consequences, and make the decisions."_

Sabrina shuddered, opening her eyes again and looking at Puck. "What should I do, Puck?"

Puck took a deep breath. "I think the more we keep the past events the same, the less likely it'll be to change things," he said slowly, actually giving it some careful thought.

He looked at her. "Which means only focusing on the most recent events... like the fact that our house was torn apart, and Kerdy."

Sabrina looked to the book. "But how can I change it? The magic killed Kerdy, but if he didn't take it..."

She felt her throat go dry. "I don't even want to see what the book says I'll do."

"What about not changing the fact that Kerdy died because of the magic... but bring him back to life anyway?" Puck suggested. "Can we do that?"

Sabrina hesitated, frowning down at the book. Then, feeling silly... She spoke. "Kerdy revives."

She braced herself for the writing, waiting to see what would happen. Nothing filled the blank page. "I don't understand."

Puck looked at the blank pages, and then scowled and sighed. "I guess it can't just automatically bring someone back to life like that," he said. "Not without a reason. Damn..." He _really_ didn't want to face a grief-stricken Daphne; it was too heartbreaking to think about.

He pushed his hand through his hair. "And we can't just take away the barrier from the past because there was a really good reason for it going up in the first place."

"What does the barrier from the past have to do with Kerdy?" Sabrina asked in confusion.

"Just thinking that the barrier itself was one of the reasons so many people have been pissy, and Mirror needed you to absorb all the power to break it... " Puck shook his head. "I'm just randomly thinking out loud."

"It wasn't just the barrier," Sabrina said, shuddering. "He was stuck in the mirror itself. But I can't change it so he was never made, or never trapped in it, because it changes too much of my own history with crappy consequences. Why does Granny have to be right? Why does magic always have to come with a price?" She grit her teeth.

"Because that's the way the world works," Puck said. "Can't get something for nothing and all that." He reached out and fingered a strand of her hair.

Sabrina stiffened a little. "That's it. I have to give something first, to get something back."

She looked to the book. "Kerdy died because of the magic... Because he took it so I wouldn't have to..."

Puck's hand stopped, and he felt his body tense. "What are you thinking, Sabrina?" he asked in a low voice, staring at her intently.

"If I took the magic somehow, I could probably revive him," Sabrina said. "And I destroyed the barrier, so I should put it back, shouldn't I?"

"Yeah, probably, given the temperament of some of the Everafters...but Sabrina, taking all of that magic back..." What made him uneasy was that what she was saying made sense. But he couldn't say his fear for her.

Sabrina looked to the book again. "With the magic I absorbed, I want to put the barrier back up--but not the same barrier. A barrier that only keeps Everafters with evil intentions in. A-and any Everafter with an evil intention can give up being an Everafter and any power that comes with it if they'd rather leave. Heck, any Everafter that doesn't want to be one can give their Everafter-ness up too. And become regular people who can live regular lives, just adding their magic to the barrier itself. And the barrier will stay up as long as the Grimms survive and find it necessary," she said firmly. The page remained blank...

Then slowly started to fill out to her specifications.

Puck's eyes slowly widened as he watched the words materialize. "Whoa," he said softly. They were filling out exactly to what Sabrina was detailing. He kept waiting for the catch - for the bad consequence that had followed all of the other changes they'd tried to make.

Sabrina's eyes lit up a moment later, as the writing finished. The only reaction to the barrier was that she lost a good chunk of magic for it. "That's good," she whispered. "That's a good reaction!"

"I can't believe that actually works," Puck said in amazement. He looked at Sabrina, and then slowly grinned. "That was awesome."

"Okay next," Sabrina said, setting the book down and moving to lean over it a bit. "I absorb half the magic from Kerdy."

Though the words made her shiver, the book wrote out what she asked. By taking half the magic, she would be able to save Kerdy's life.

Puck reached for her hand again, brushing his thumb over her knuckles in reassurance as he watched the book make the appropriate changes.

Sabrina took a deep breath, squeezing Puck's hand. As the book finished writing out her request, she spoke again. "I give Puck his natural magic back... Maybe a little extra... But I take the rest."

She visibly winced as the book fulfilled her request. The level of magic Puck held became much more comfortable and manageable.

Puck let out an automatic breath of relief as he felt the strain of magic lift off of him, but he didn't miss her wince. "You okay?" he asked quietly, looking at her attentively.

"Yeah," Sabrina whispered. She clutched his hand a bit tighter. "Just don't leave, okay? I... I can't do this alone."

"Leave?" Puck repeated. He grinned, giving her hand a tight squeeze. "I told you I wasn't going anywhere. That applied then, and it definitely applies right now."

Sabrina forced a smile, looking at him. "Definitely earning brownie points for if I survive this," she teased.

"And just what do I get to do with those brownie points?" Puck asked with a teasing lilt to his voice, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

"Dork," she joked, closing her eyes. "I... I don't want Mirror to suffer."

"Have I mentioned that you've got a bigger heart than I do?" Puck asked honestly. He wouldn't have minded Mirror suffering for a very, very long time.

Sabrina bit her lip. "I hate him," she whispered, opening her eyes. "He caused my family so much pain, and he did so many... He _knew _Bluebeard was going to hurt me. He knew so many secrets, and tried to use them against my family. He was willing to kill me just to leave this place. I really hate him."

"I don't blame you," Puck said quietly. He lifted her hand to his lips, kissing the back of it softly.

Sabrina squeezed his hand again. "But I don't want to be like him. Or like the Heartless. I don't want to do any of that. I just want to be me, and be able to enjoy it..."

She looked down. "Which me did you like better, Puck? Me when I was innocent and carefree, or me now? Or did it ever matter to you?"

"What matters to me is _you_, Sabrina," Puck replied. "You are you are now, you as you were then - both of those versions are still you. I'll take you however you want to be."

"I don't want to be naive," Sabrina whispered, bowing her head. "And I don't want to be completely jaded, either..."

She looked to the book. "I know what I have to do. Stay with me, Puck. I love you."

"I love you, too," Puck replied seriously. "I'll stay with you, Sabrina. Like we said - no matter what."

"No matter what," she murmured, taking a deep breath. She had a feeling everything was going to be okay.

***.*.*.*.***

"Daphne!" Veronica reached for her daughter again as the light that had blinded and froze them all began to fade. She couldn't quite get to her daughter, the young girl still cradling Kerdy in her arms.

At the sound of her mother's voice, Daphne looked up slowly, the tears in her eyes and streaming down her face visible. Beside Veronica, Henry looked at Daphne with anxious worry.

Daphne swallowed hard, tightening her arms around Kerdy. She couldn't find any words to respond to Veronica - her heartbreak was written all over her face.

"Papa," Red whispered, clutching Mr. Canis' arms. "Papa it's all my fault..." Her voice wavered. She was struggling to hold back tears, watching the Grimms trying to reunite. No one knew what was happening with Sabrina and Puck.

"What?" Mr. Canis looked down at Red, and then hugged her tightly. "No, Red. Listen to me. None of this is your fault."

"I should have known," Red whispered, closing her eyes as tight as she could. The tears escaped, burning her eyes and doing nothing to alleviate the pain she was feeling. The disappointment in her own abilities, and the horrifying realization that she could have prevented it all. "You helped me so much to try and meditate and remember things, and it was always right there. So obvious... Mirror was the Master, and I couldn't remember! If I had remembered earlier, we could have stopped this from happening!" Her voice was anguished.

Mr. Canis knelt down in front of Red, looking at her. "No one's blaming you, Red," he said quietly. "I'm certainly not. It's not your fault that you couldn't remember the identity of the Master."

"I should have remembered," Red whispered again, gazing at him with shame in her eyes. "I should have tried harder."

Mr. Canis took a deep breath, and then hugged Red tightly. "It's not your fault," he said quietly. "Trust me." There was no way that he could blame her. Who was to say that even if she'd remembered, something wouldn't have caused this to happen anyway?

The ground shuddered beneath them again, and Red clutched his arm. "Papa?" she whispered. "Are we going to die?"

"No," Mr. Canis replied quietly. "I won't let anything happen to you, Red." He could feel the ground shaking, though, and he tightened his arms around her. He would keep her safe regardless of what happened to him.

Red buried her face in his chest and tried to block out the sounds of destruction around them. It felt like the world was falling apart.

The light swept over them all, so bright that if anyone had their eyes open, they immediately had to shield or look away. The last thing Red remembered was the warm sensation of being lifted from the ground, and then everything went black.

***.*.*.*.***

"Princess?"

A soft whimper escaped from the sleeping girl. She shifted, curling up a little. The voice... she knew she had to be dreaming, just like she was dreaming the feel of warm, familiar arms wrapped around her.

It had to be a dream, because those arms couldn't hold her anymore. That voice couldn't speak to her anymore. It couldn't say her name, or call her 'Princess' anymore.

She sniffled softly. She didn't want to wake up. She didn't want to leave the dream where she could still feel Kerdy, and still hear his voice. Not if it meant finding out that he was well and truly gone.

Soft fingertips brushed over her cheek, a warm chuckle escaping the boy that held Daphne Grimm in his arms. "Princess," he repeated. "Wake up. I want to see your smile."

Daphne shook her head, unconsciously shifting closer to the warmth of the boy, clutching at him. "No," she mumbled. "Don' wanna wake up. Kerdy..." She turned her head and nuzzled at the soft fingertips. Her dream was really vivid.

"But if you don't wake up," he argued, his voice soft. "How will you see me?"

Soft lips brushed her cheek, with a shy sense of affection. "Or does my Princess need to be woken with a kiss?"

"Kerdy," she whispered again, sighing softly at the soft brush of his lips against her cheek. She desperately wanted to see him, but she was too afraid that if she woke up and opened her eyes, he'd be gone. He felt so real, so close in her dream...

He chuckled softly. "At least your dad is still unconscious, or this would be awkward."

His lips brushed over hers, just as sweet as always. "Princess, wake up."

As if by magic, the touch of his lips to hers was just the trigger needed to coax Daphne over the final hurdle of being awake and being asleep.

Slowly she opened her eyes, staring up at him. "Oh," she whispered softly, staring into his eyes. "I'm still dreaming."

Kerdy's expression was warm and patient. "You're not dreaming."

He sat in the middle of the kitchen with Daphne cradled in his arms, his pure white angel wings slightly extended. Not a lock of gold hair fell out of place, the blood and grime gone from his body. Hanging over his shirt was the white pendant she had gotten him for Christmas so long ago, and he couldn't help but give a slightly boyish grin. "I'm sorry I made you cry."

Daphne stared at him, her expression clearly showing that she wasn't quite comprehending.

And then, slowly, she dared to speak the hope that was going through her mind. "Kerdy?" she whispered. "You're alive?"

Kerdy chuckled, one hand moving from her cheek to run his fingers through her wavy hair. "You look adorable with your hair down. But yes, I'm alive. I don't know how, but I'm pretty sure it has to do with your sister and Puck, and the magic."

She swallowed hard, and fresh tears began to well up in her eyes.

She took in the sight of him, of his unharmed body, the pendant around his neck, the brilliant wing his back, and his grin - that wonderful, wonderful grin that made her heart melt.

Daphne let out a soft sob, burying her face against his chest and holding onto him tightly. "Oh, Kerdy!" she gasped tearfully.

Kerdy caught her immediately, cupping the back of her head and wrapping both his arms and wings around her. "I'm sorry, Princess..."

"I thought you were gone," Daphne whispered. "I thought...I thought I'd lost you..." Her tears slipped down her cheeks and onto his chest, and she didn't bother trying to hold them back.

Kerdy stroked her hair, closing his eyes while he held her close. "I'm sorry. I wanted to be a hero, but I didn't want to leave you, either. I'll try not to go anywhere without you, ever again. Okay?"

Daphne nodded immediately. "Okay," she whispered. Then she pulled back and tilted her head up to look at him. "You'll always be a hero to me, Kerdy."

Kerdy felt his cheeks flush. He didn't verbally answer, cupping her cheeks in his hands and smiling. Then he pulled back and stood, helping her up as well. "We should go see if anyone else is awake."

Daphne nodded, a light blush dusting her own cheeks.

Only then did she realize that the house that had been almost completely destroyed...looked as if nothing had happened to it. "Kerdy, the house..."

"I know. It's all back to normal," Kerdy murmured. "Hang on, let me see if I can put these wings away."

"Okay." At that, her blush deepened a little. "I...really like your wings." She looked down, instantly feeling shy at the statement.

Kerdy blushed as well, then closed his eyes and concentrated for several moments. With a sound of discomfort, he stumbled, the wings retracting into his back and making him wince. "That hurt."

"Are you all right?" Daphne asked, instantly alarmed at the way he winced. She reached out and caught his arm to help steady him.

Kerdy squeezed her hand. "I'm okay. That just felt crappy. Don't worry about it. C'mon Princess. Let's sort everything out, and then I'll take you out on a date and reassure you that I'm not going anywhere."

That instantly brought a blushing smile to her face, and she nodded. "Okay," she said. "Let's go check on the others now." Then she paused, and bit her lip. "And find Sabrina and Puck."

Kerdy guided Daphne to the living room, pausing in the doorway with her. Veronica was sleeping in Henry's arms near the couch, with Briar lying on the couch. Cory had drooled a puddle on her chest, completely asleep on top of Briar.

Jake was sleeping with his face partially on Henry's, and farther away, Red was cuddled protectively in Mr. Canis' arms.

Relda was sitting in a chair, her head tilted forward slightly in sleep, with Elvis curled up at her feet.

Daphne tilted her head to one side, looking around the room at her family. "They all look okay," she said softly, with relief.

But the absence of Sabrina and Puck was very, very noticeable.

"They're sleeping," Kerdy murmured. "So let's go upstairs and see if we can find Sabrina and Puck, okay?"

"Mm...Daphne?" Veronica yawned, hearing their voices. She stirred, pushing on Henry's chest a little to prop herself up.

Daphne paused on the verge to agreeing with Kerdy when she heard her mother's voice. "Mom?" she asked hesitantly, looking at her. Henry stirred a little beneath Veronica, but otherwise didn't wake.

Veronica's eyes fluttered open, a look of sleepy confusion on her face. "Sweetheart? What happened? Did I have a bad dream? Oh... Look, your daddy's sleeping..."

She settled back down on Henry's chest a bit, yawning again.

"Maybe we should wake them up first," Kerdy said gently.

Daphne hesitated. A part of her would have rather tried to make sure that Sabrina was okay, but if Kerdy thought they should wake everyone up first, then they probably should.

"Okay," she replied, brushing her hair back from her face and walking over to her parents. "Mom, Dad. Wake up." She put her hands on their shoulders, nudging them a little.

Veronica pushed herself up further, frowning a little. "Daphne?" she mumbled. Her voice roused Jake, who snorted a bit and shoved his face more firmly into Henry's.

"What the..." Henry shifted and opened his eyes, glancing over at Jake.

His eyes sprang open wide. "Ack! Jake!" He was _not _used to having his brother's face so close to his own upon waking up.

Veronica jerked awake. "Sabrina!" she gasped immediately, clutching Daphne's arm.

"Mrs. Grimm," Kerdy said respectfully. "Everyone seems unharmed, but Sabrina and Puck are probably upstairs. Something happened with the magic."

"Henry, get your butt up!" Veronica said, pushing herself up and getting to her feet. Jake rolled onto his stomach.

At the sound of his oldest daughter's name, Henry was already waking up and moving, getting up as Veronica did so.

Briar, Mr. Canis, and Relda were all stirring now, each of them roused by the sound of Veronica's voice and the tone that it held.

Veronica didn't bother waiting for everyone else, heading up the stairs and taking them two at a time. She and Henry practically tore the door open.

The mirror was gone, replaced by a large door. It was open, and Puck lay unconscious by himself in the opening. He was on his back, wings out and hands unfolded at his sides. A glittering pink ring nestled in his right palm, where Sabrina's hand should have been.

Henry stopped in the doorway beside Veronica, and his mouth went dry. All he could see was Puck. "Where is she?" he asked, his body tensing.

"What?" Daphne's voice came from behind him. She couldn't see past her parents. "Are they there? Puck and Sabrina?"

Puck shifted, and let out a low groan as he slowly opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling. HIs hand twitched, and then slowly closed around the ring.

Kerdy came to a stop beside Daphne, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"Puck," Veronica said, voice shaking. "Where is Sabrina?"

Daphne went still under Kerdy's hand when she heard her mother's question.

Puck slowly sat up, turning his upper body to look down at the hand holding the ring.

He swallowed suddenly. "Sabrina..."

"What happened?" Veronica demanded, hurrying over and kneeling down by Puck.

"We were...there was a bright light, and then a book," Puck said. "I think it was talking to us. _Something_ was talking to us. It told us that we could change things." Puck lifted his head and looked up at Veronica and Henry. "Sabrina changed things."

"What did she change?" Veronica demanded.

"My death," Kerdy whispered, eyes widening slowly. "How did she change something like that? There's no way she could do it without needing to give something in return..."

"She took the magic back," Puck replied. He looked over at Kerdy and Daphne, and felt a rush of relief. "It must have worked, because yeah, the first thing that she changed was your death."

"How did she change anything?" Jake asked from behind Kerdy and Daphne. Briar had remained downstairs with Cory, Mr. Canis, and Elvis.

"The book," Puck said, tightening his hand around the ring. "It was called the Book of Everafter...that's what the voice said."

"The Book of Everafter?" Henry repeated.

Puck nodded. "We could tell it anything, and it would change the history of the Everafters... we tried a few things but the end result was always worse.

"Finally Sabrina took the magic back - she took back the magic that had killed Kerdy, and brought him back to life. Then she used it to change the barrier around Ferryport Landing. She took the magic that I had absorbed, leaving me with my original power... she told the book what to do, and it did it."

"..." Kerdy moved forward. "But you don't remember everything," he said, looking concerned. "Meaning she made a change she didn't want you to know about, or didn't want you to stop her from doing."

"Where is the book?" Veronica looked into the hall that had once been inside the mirror. "Jake-"

"On it," Jake said, hurrying past. "All of the magic items seem to be back in these rooms..."

He disappeared into one of the rooms.

Puck stared at Kerdy. He shivered involuntarily, a chill racing its way down his spine.

A change she didn't want him to know about?

That she didn't want him to stop?

He opened his hand and stared down at the ring. _'Sabrina, where are you?'_ he thought, wings fluttering in agitation.

Veronica moved to ditch Puck as well, hurrying into the rooms after Jake to try and find whatever book they were talking about.

Kerdy knelt down by Puck, offering him a hand up. His expression was decidedly grim. Puck didn't protest the hand up, though he felt numb as he rose to his feet.

"Was...was Sabrina with you, Puck?" Daphne asked softly as Henry put his hand on her shoulder. "The last thing you remember, was she with you?"

"Yeah," Puck whispered. "She was."

"She didn't change any part of history up until the earthquakes and stuff, did she?" Kerdy asked, frowning.

"No," Puck replied. "Not that I remember. Anything that we tried to change in the past just made the entire world hell."

"Was she... vengeful? Or forgiving?" Kerdy asked softly.

"She told me that she hated Mirror," Puck replied, his hair falling over his eyes as he lowered his head slightly. "But she didn't want him to suffer."

"Guys," Jake said, coming back in with Veronica. Veronica was barely holding back her panic.

Jake held the book in both hands. "Let's go to the living room. And I want to know all the details."

Kerdy moved his hand to Puck's shoulder, firm and steady. "C'mon Puck."

Puck stared at Jake and Veronica, not liking their expressions. Especially since those expressions likely had to do with Sabrina.

Henry went to Veronica and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, his face a picture of concern.

"Mom?" Daphne asked in a small voice. "Uncle Jake?"

"Living room," Jake repeated, clutching the book so tightly his knuckles turned white.

Veronica didn't say anything, just pressing her face to Henry's shoulder and walking with him.

"C'mon," Kerdy murmured, ushering Puck and Daphne both.

The moment they got into the living room, it was obvious that something was wrong. Briar was sitting up with Cory in her arms, stroking her nephew's hair, while Mr. Canis sat with Red.

"What's happened?" Relda promptly asked when she saw that Sabrina wasn't with them, and took in the expressions on Jake and Veronica's faces. "What is it?"

"From the beginning," Jake said, sitting beside Briar. "Puck, we only know what we saw when the house started blowing up. What happened before the magic?"

"I didn't get there until after Mirror already had her in those bracelets," Puck said. "He used _our_ bracelets to lure me there so that he could get me out of the way. But I know that she ended up there because she went to confront him when she got her memories back."

"What?" Daphne asked, startled. "Sabrina got her memories back? Really?"

From the startled look on Puck's face, he had obviously forgotten that they didn't all know that.

"She got her memories back?" Kerdy echoed.

"...She confronted Mirror?" Red asked, her voice almost too soft to be heard.

Puck nodded. "Yeah," he said quietly. "She got her memories back and realized that he was the Master."

Red flinched, looking down at the ground. "How... How did she know, if she didn't know before?" she clasped both hands in front of her.

"Because she got a different perspective without her memories," Jake answered, seeing Red's distress. "Is that it, Puck?"

"I think so," Puck said, giving another nod.

Mr. Canis put his hand on Red's shoulder. "It doesn't mean that it was something obvious that was missed," he said quietly, knowing she blamed herself for not figuring it out.

"As for where she is," Jake said, "I'm going to tell everyone in a moment."

Veronica took a deep breath. "So Sabrina had her memories?" she asked. "And she confronted Mirror? Then what, Puck?"

With his heart thudding anxiously in his chest, Puck went over the events that had lead up to the house exploding and the magic going insane, covering everything straight to when he and Sabrina found themselves in the world of white.

When he finished he looked at Jake. "Now tell me where Sabrina is," he demanded, not caring how he sounded. He just wanted to know. He _needed_ to know.

Jake opened the book, flipping to the back. "There's something you all should know," he said. "I'm sure you all know this is no ordinary book. It is exactly what it's called--the Book of Everafter. Every fairytale in the world is recorded within the pages. While the Grimms and others have been recording those same tales on their own, the Book of Everafter records the tale as it is unfolding. The fact that Sabrina had a chance to alter any of this is... It's astounding, honestly."

"So...it's a book of fairytales?" Daphne asked, staring at the book with wide-eyed amazement. "But it's the way that the fairytales were originally?"

"But if it's just a book," Henry asked with a frown, "how does altering it affect anything? The fairytales have already happened."

"Weren't you listening, Hank? It's not just an anything," Jake said. "This is the history of the Everafters. You can't just alter the pages without massive magic. Or if a Grimm were to use their own life force to transport the focus of a fairytale in to alter their own story through re-living it."

He took a deep breath. "Sabrina absorbed way more magic with the bracelets Mirror used than she had as the Heartless. My guess is, the Heartless didn't absorb all of the magic items along with the magic-using Everafters."

Veronica looked at Jake. "But Sabrina wouldn't have altered... Or, couldn't have altered much, because it hasn't changed everything..."

"Right. 'Brina couldn't just fix all of the problems in the past. She could only mess with things that had happened very recently. But the magic had to go somewhere, and she had a lot left after..."

Jake looked at the pages. "Altering the barrier to Ferryport Landing, bringing Kerdy back to life, and sending Mirror's soul to be born as a normal, human baby so he can have a chance as a life without being a slave, with no memories of being Mirror."

Veronica's hands flew to her mouth.

Relda drew in a sharp breath, staring at Jake in shock. Daphne squeaked, taken aback by her uncle's words, and boggled expressions filled the faces of those around the table.

"Are you _serious?_" Puck asked, staring at Jake. "That's...that's what she did with Mirror?" And why hadn't he been able to remember that fact?

Jake nodded quietly. "The book's actually very descriptive. She didn't want him in her life anymore, but she didn't want to punish him."

"But what happened to my baby?" Veronica demanded. "What does it say, Jake?"

Jake sighed, wrapping an arm protectively around Briar as he read.

_"With the magic building up, and the specifications to the book done, Sabrina requested that Puck would fall asleep and retain no memory of the events past their reaffirmed promise. Once he lost consciousness, she-" _Jake paused. "Uh..."

"Uh?" Puck stared at Jake. His wings fluttered in agitation. "'Uh' is not an answer. You can't do 'uh'. What did Sabrina do after I passed out? Tell me!"

Jake glanced at Henry warily. "Um..."

_"Once he lost consciousness, she leaned down and pressed her hand to his cheek, tracing the-"_Jake shook his head again. "Okay this goes on for a little while, guys. She got a bit tender with Puck because she knew she was going to do something that would separate them again."

Red's cheeks flushed, and Kerdy shifted awkwardly. Daphne bit her lip and reached for Kerdy's hand. She needed the reassurance of his presence right then, because she was pretty certain that she wasn't going to like what Jake was about to tell them.

Puck looked at Jake silently, his expression saying it all. What the hell had Sabrina done?

"What happened?" Henry asked quietly, taking Veronica's head.

Jake skimmed the page for several moments, then started reading, while Cory sleepily leaned over and grabbed a chunk of his hair.

_"Sabrina pulled back from the kiss, forcing a smile. She didn't cry, even though she wanted to. She decided to be strong, looking back to the book. She wasn't even aware that-"_Jake paused. "...Holy crap."

"JAKE, STOP DOING THAT!" Veronica shrieked, losing patience.

Cory yelped, then hiccupped and stared at Briar with wide, startled, 'why would you marry this very loud and scary man?' eyes.

Briar immediately cuddled Cory. "He's not usually loud and scary, Cory," she said soothingly. She kissed the top of Cory's head, and looked at Jake. "But maybe, dear, you should stop pausing in the middle of your sentences and read it aloud?"

"Sorry," Jake said, removing his arm from around Briar and Cory so he could pull the book up. "It's just... Sabrina altered our lives in the book, and included the Grimms with the magic of keeping the barrier again and, and in keeping guardianship over the magical items... Long story short, _we _aren't just observers of fairytales right now, guys. We're part of a fairytale."

Kerdy blinked. "Huh?"

"...." Suddenly Daphne jumped to her feet, her hair flying around her shoulders. "You mean...you mean... you mean _we're Everafters?_" Various emotions flickered across her face rapidly, and she gaped at Jake.

"Jacob...not to say that I doubt you...but are you _certain_ that's what the book says?" Relda asked, looking at her son.

"Certain, mom," Jake said, sounding a bit stunned. "We're... We're Everafters now."

Kerdy pushed his hand through his thick gold hair, looking at Daphne. "All of you are?"

"All of us," Jake said. "Every Grimm. Even Cory."

Cory twisted at his name, shoving three fingers into his mouth.

"We'll deal with that later," Veronica said, clutching Henry's arm. "Jake, for the love of all that his holy, WHERE is Sabrina?"

Daphne shoved her hand into her mouth and bit it to keep herself from saying anything further, her eyes huge as she stared at Kerdy.

"That's exactly what I want to know," Henry said, looking straight at his brother. "Where does it say where our daughter is, Jake?"

Jake turned a page in the book, going back to the part he had initially read. _"Sabrina gave as much magic as she could back to the items that would remain in the Hall of Wonders, but it couldn't change the fact that she had played God with the lives of many. Her body was still in pain from the amount of magic she had hosted, even though her conversion to a fairy had gone perfectly. The question she had asked earlier came back to haunt her, and she was glad for a moment that she had made Puck forget ever hearing it._

_'Will I be able to go home once I'm done with the book?'_

_The answer still scared her--it hadn't been spoken coldly, or with compassion. It had just been a plain and simple 'no'._

_Sabrina slid the ring from her finger and placed it in Puck's hand. She pushed back her fear and smiled. "Find me, Puck. If I can be found, you'll be the one to do it," she whispered._

_The book sealed at her words, no longer subject to change as Sabrina Grimm vanished, no longer dead, but no longer living."_

Jake closed the book. "And that's all it says."

Silence filled the room in response to the passage that Jake had just read. Then slowly, several gazes turned towards Puck to see what his reaction was.

"What... what the hell..." Puck's voice trembled. "What is that supposed to mean? No longer dead, but no longer living? How can you be...there's no in-between! If you're not dead you're alive and if you're not alive..."

He looked at Jake, his eyes flashing. "I don't understand!"

Veronica wiped at her eyes, not even managing to form words. The tears slid down her cheeks despite her best efforts to keep calm for Daphne and Cory.

"I don't know, Puck," Jake said, looking to him. "It's magic. Sabrina basically godmoded--and like mom always says, magic always has a price. Every time she altered the book, she had to give to take. Altering the book itself was taking. Who knows what the magic made her give?"

Henry pulled Veronica into his arms, clasping her tightly against his chest and cupping the back of her head.

Puck clenched his fists tightly. "Why?" he whispered. "Why does it always have to be Sabrina? Why is _she _the one who always has to make the sacrifice?"

Tears pricked Daphne's eyes. The momentary thrill at being told she was an Everafter had vanished. Now...now she only wanted her sister back.

"Hey..." Red looked up, clutching both Mr. Canis' hand and Relda's. "She's not dead though. Puck, she's waiting for you to find her. It's all very romantic, isn't it? She's not gone, so please don't give up on her!"

Kerdy had pulled Daphne back into his arms, holding her close and looking to Red. She had just about everyone's attention.

Daphne laid her head against Kerdy's chest and gripped his arms, looking at Red tearfully.

Relda looked down at Red, and then smiled gently. Red was absolutely right - after all, though the book had said she wasn't living, it had also said she wasn't dead.

Puck turned to Red, looking at her silently for a moment.

Then, slowly, the tension slid out of his body. "Right," he said quietly, Red's words reminding him of that very important fact.

He looked down at his hand and opened it up, eyes on the ring that he held. "Of course I won't. I promised her, after all."

"It's just not the same if Sabrina's not off being reckless, or fighting for her life," Veronica whispered. She wiped at her eyes, then stood, putting her hands on her hips. "Enough of this moping! Sabrina's going to be fine, we're still getting her a car when she turns sixteen, and we have to find out what's going on with all of this barrier and Everafter madness. Relda, you and I should go talk to William and Snow. The rest of you figure out what you need to work on--and Puck," she turned her whole body to face Puck.

"One day, you're going to be my son-in-law, so don't you dare screw up. You'll find Sabrina and bring her home, won't you?"

Puck looked up from the ring and at Veronica.

Then a cocky grin spread across his face, his eyes shining with familiar light. "Of course I will," he said. "After all, I _am_ the Trickster King. There's _nothing_ that I can't do!"

"Good," Veronica forced a smile.

"Princess," Kerdy said, kissing Daphne's hair. "Will you go with me to see my mom? Knowing her, she's probably panicking about me, and I don't want you out of my sight."

"Hank and I will do inventory on the magic items," Jake said. "I'll write down the new barrier specifications for you guys to tell Charming. And of course my beautiful, wonderful, amazing wife will babysit Cory?"

Briar looked at Jake and gave him a warm smile. "Of course I will," she said. She nuzzled Cory. "Right, Cory? You'll stay with Aunt Briar, won't you?"

Daphne looked at Kerdy and then nodded. "I want to see your mother, too," she said. She wiped the last traces of tears from her eyes. "Will you show her your wings?"

Cory shoved his face in Briar's neck and smiled. "Caffee."

Kerdy glanced at Cory, then smiled down at Daphne, sweeping her into his arms and heading for the door. "Sure."

Daphne squeaked and blushed, holding onto Kerdy when he picked her up.

"Oh, do you want to go see Cassia?" Briar asked, speaking Cory-speak without any effort.

"You're welcome to bring him when I go to speak with Charming," Relda said, looking at her daughter-in-law and grandson.

Despite her strong attitude, Veronica pulled Henry to her and closed her eyes for several moments. Everyone had decided to distract themselves, not wanting to dwell on the possibility that Sabrina was gone for good.

Even Kerdy had murmured to Daphne that it was okay if she needed to cry or worry to him on the way to his home. The only person who didn't have to worry was Cory, who sounded delighted at the idea of seeing his favorite playmate.

With everyone going their separate ways, Puck headed for the stairs. He paused at the top of them and looked back down at the ring in his hand.

He smiled, and then slipped the ring carefully into his pocket. He'd hold onto the ring, and keep it safe for the day when he'd be able to slip it onto Sabrina's finger again. And he _would._

He would never stop looking until he found her, and he would keep searching no matter how long it took.

At that moment he knew - knew beyond a shadow of a doubt - that he would find her again. _'Wait for me, Sabrina,_' Puck thought with determination. _'Wherever you are, I'll find you.'_

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

**A/N:**

**Sky:** Soap Opera lives on! Bwahahaha. Okay, anyway, sorry to be all rawr over the four or so reviews that made our heads tilt—it's been a long week XD Hopefully people will be less annoyed by the fluff that's coming up for later chapters. Feel free to PM us or review questions if anyone got confused or wants to bounce ideas. Also, we'll be putting up a poll for an A/U story we plan to do one day based off Sabrina changing things in the Book of Everafter :D Spin-offs amg!

**Ayns: **::squees over fluff:: I love fluff...it's especially nice after a crazy hectic insane work week that ends with my eyes spinning and my head doing a 180 degree turn of something. Work has been, um, difficult lately. As Sky said, it's been a long week.

I hope this has been enjoyable. Then again, it had Kerdy in it. And you guys love Kerdy, don't you? I know I do. I definitely, definitely do.

Mmm. Kerdy.

**Sky: **Yeesh. When did Kerdy get a cult?

**Fun Facts, non-numbered:**

**"Daijoubou" is basically a way of saying 'It's alright' or 'I'm alright' in Japanese. It can be used as a question: "Daijoubu?" meaning 'Are you okay?' etc.**

**"Otouto" is 'Little brother' or 'Younger brother' in Japanese.**

**"Aniki" is the 'Older brother'.**

**"Hai" means 'Yes'.**

**Please note that there are other ways of saying the above statements, but those are the ones we chose.**

**Ayns and I both studied Japanese back in high school, and still throw it in randomly in our RPs for anime, so it slips sometimes. We decided to throw a bit in here, because we like it, and they weren't canon characters.**

Anyway, THANK YOU TO ALL THE REVIEWERS (even the crappy few, cause at least they took the time to be crappy!): **ACertainPeanutButterSandwich, mucho gravy-o, RO-Z 28, Lara D, CGreene, pixiewings00, Chicgeek4ever, Elena Forest, Twilit-Demon-Sarathena Knight, mindreadingweirdo, Horsegirl99, SeekDreamsAndFindHope, iD Sisters Grimm iD, msjezzi-bella, BookLoverAF, obsessedwithbooks, mysterious13, Harmony352, sistersgrimmlover, DragonFly7312, ILoveGeorgeCooper, Blue-Eyed-Lily, Alice Starr, Laterose**(rofl your flame was very lovely ^^ But really, flames are supposed to be mean, so no you didn't do a good job flaming. Awesome job at angry praising though :D), **Trickster Queen464, LottieGrimm**(I don't think Mirror's evil. Just an 'ends justify the means' kinda guy who's willing to hurt people, unfortunately), **Cookie-Dough-Always, -flying-dreaming-dancing, Amy, Viva-Musica, RainbowofSmiles16, amethystdolphin, JulzAndKate, DeDe**(It will^^), **ohnoDK, Curlscat, Aquamarine Jazz, Aisha, Katyy, emeralda rose, gRRRLly and insane**(Why, yes we can :D), **gothicgal000, chemicalsilver, grimmluverforever**(Sorry^^ Already said and done on the fairy thing), **GrimmGurl4Lyf3, Lilyflower-314, SweeneyToddLover26…**

**Anonymous-**Not that the person will be reading this if they stopped at chapter 13, but there are multiple warnings about content, and non-teenagers shouldn't be complaining that the content made them uncomfortable. I'm sorry that anyone feels uncomfortable reading this, but that's why it's rated T, and that's why we put up so many warnings to try and spare people who might be sensitive to the content. I do appreciate that it was said in a very non-flame and intelligent way, though.

**can't tell u-**In our story, and I think we based this off the actual Shakespearean Puck, his eyes change color. Ours based it off emotions—sad is blue, playful is green, determined is now gold, etc etc. Yes, we're aware his eyes are green in the books. Also, we've been over the 'short chapter vs long chapter' dilemma and we don't plan to shorten the chapters. I'm sorry.

**Yeesh! **That was a lot to type, and a lot to respond to. I hope people notice we included a louder rating in the synopsis, so hopefully people who might get offended will steer clear. We're not trying to upset people, we just love to write and we love this story. Also if you see typos, sorry :X It's like 4 AM where I'm at and I still keep thinking it's midnight. Darn time zones!

Luvvies, guys!  
**  
~Sky**


	35. Lost And Found

**EDIT: Sky: Re-Added scene skips.**

**A/N:**

**Sky: **Sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry! I'm so sorry you guys! **Our update schedule hit my last week with my fiancé in North Carolina, so we postponed. **Then I got back to Alaska to a hectic work schedule, and neither of us had time to write, so we missed our second week. Ayns and I got this done as fast as possible and we apologize for making you wait. **With the conclusion and fluff coming up, we'll be trying to get the chapters out as normal, but there will be a few more delays.  
**  
First off, we're gonna be seeing New Moon next Friday or Saturday I think (not this upcoming weekend) and that'll take a lot of our writing time. Don't like the Twilight Saga? We don't care lol. You don't need to preach to us. (Not that we have high hopes for the movie, but we did enjoy the books.)

Secondly, the Thanksgiving Weekend will be a family nightmare, and then we have a craft fair going on that both Ayns and I have booths at, which takes up all of Thanksgiving weekend. Oh, and I'm planning my wedding because it's been rescheduled to May and I don't have a lot of time.

SO, please be patient with us as we hurry to get the conclusion of this story out, as well as the one-shots we haven't finished. We haven't forgotten them, but they ate us D:

**I'm also very sorry I didn't have a chance to respond to most of the reviews this time around, I will try to get to that when I have time. I don't even have time to check the category anymore T-T so I'm very sorry if you want us to read your stories, but right now, there's just no free time.**

Enjoy!  
**  
_*.*.*.*.*_**

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter Thirty-Five: Lost And Found_**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

Three months had passed. A lot had changed in such a considerably short time.

Ferryport Landing had almost completely been abandoned by Everafters. Though some remained, even the ones with evil intentions had simply given up their immortality for the ability to leave. Rumors detailed what others were doing with their lives, but the Grimms only kept tabs on their friends. For instance, Goldilocks had gone back on a world tour, rumored to be dating a prince, and the Charmings had moved to California with assorted homes all over the place.

Jake had decided to take Briar on a trip to see the world as well--and since she had never been outside of it that she could remember, Red pleaded for the same thing. Mr. Canis, though reluctant to leave Relda, had agreed to supervise Red. Relda had practically had to shove at people, laughing that she would be okay on her own. After all, by that time, Veronica and Henry had approached her with the idea of their moving away.

Since Cory had already been crying over Sabrina's disappearance and Cassia's departure, they had told him quickly about the idea to move away to let him get his crying out all at once. Reasoning with Daphne hadn't been any better. Not only had she not wanted to leave Relda and Elvis, but she hadn't wanted to leave Kerdy at all. During the moving process, she had come up with many schemes to stay, though Kerdy had promised her nothing would change between them, and she would see him all the time.

She hadn't realized what he had planned until he had shown up to walk her to her new school, dazzling blue eyes rivaling Puck's with playfulness. It turned out that since Kai and Gerda had no interest in leaving their home of memories, and the twins had gone to explore Tokyo, Forse had agreed to rent a condominium with Kerdy on Staten Island, very close to the house Veronica and Henry had bought.

Puck had only dropped by Staten Island once in the months since the move—he was constantly travelling anywhere he could to try and find clues, or any trace of Sabrina.

Due to the mass amount of world touring, multiple postcards had been mailed to everyone. Relda had a postcard board on her wall that showed all of the postcards her family had sent recently. The newest was a picture of a puffin from Red and Mr. Canis in Alaska.

***.*.*.*.***

"So," Kerdy said, wrapping his arm around Daphne's waist while they walked home from school. Forse had personally charmed their principal into allowing Kerdy to have every class with his girlfriend, since they were supposedly the same age now. He was still much taller, but now aging at the exact same pace as Daphne. "Remember how we went out to see that movie, and you were sad when we saw the cat in the tree, so I put on a mask and let out the wings to save it the other night?"

Daphne laughed at the memory, her eyes shining as she snuggled against Kerdy. Her hair was in a loose braid - these days she either wore it in a single braid or hanging free.

"Yeah, I remember," she said, tilting her head up to look at him. Her heart gave an automatic flip, which it always did when she saw him.

Kerdy glanced down at her. "Well, some kids at our school saw it or something, and now the school is talking about X-men being real. They think I'm the Angel guy."

Daphne let out a peal of laughter, grinning. "Really?" she asked. "Wow. So do we have to be X-Men for Halloween this year?"

Kerdy laughed. "Well, Halloween is coming up. I could have a convincing costume, but then you'd have to wear a blue or purple leotard and thigh high boots and-" He swallowed, pushing back the blush on his cheeks with will power. "Your dad would hate that."

Daphne felt her own cheeks heat up, and she didn't try to hide her. "Probably," she said, looking rather shy. "We should, um, maybe find something a little less likely to get me locked up and you killed by my dad."

"Besides--If you ever dress up as an authentic Psylocke, I don't want anyone else ogling you," Kerdy said firmly, leaning down and kissing the top of her head without taking his eyes off the path they were on.

Daphne's entire face was turning tomato-color now, and she ducked her head shyly. "K-Kerdy..." She couldn't help it; he had the ability to make her completely flustered.

Kerdy grinned. "What should we do for Halloween, anyway? Something totally cheesy and cute for a couple to do?"

That was safer ground, and Daphne tilted her head slightly and looked thoughtful. "Okay," she said with a nod. "We should make a list!"

"A list, huh?" He laughed. "Do we want to involve my wings, or not at all? We could always go as a conscience--but I keep thinking of non-appropriate devil costumes that will get me shot by your dad."

Daphne giggled, blushing again. "With those thoughts you'd probably be the better devil," she teased lightly.

"Well, you're my angel, so that makes you right," Kerdy said, kissing the top of her head again.

"I could go as a tomato," Daphne said, knowing her face had to be red again.

"You'd make an adorable tomato," Kerdy acknowledged.

"Tomatoes aren't adorable," Daphne protested, looking up at him.

Kerdy looked back down at her, stopped, caressed her cheek, and then leaned down to steal a kiss. "You lose the argument automatically, because if you're in the equation, you'd be adorable no matter what. Tomato, pickle, turnip, you name it."

"Okay, if I'm a tomato or a pickle or a turnip, what are you?" Daphne asked promptly.

"Hm," Kerdy looked thoughtful as they resumed walking. "I could go as a ketchup bottle, or maybe an aphid... Okay so the costumes wouldn't work. But you'd still be adorable."

Daphne almost started to laugh at the thought of Kerdy the Aphid. As it was, she sputtered for a few moments before getting herself under control. "I think I'll pass on the tomato," she said.

"Well, what do you want to go as, Princess?" he asked. "I'll match your costume however I can."

Then he paused, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "I have an idea of what we can go as for Halloween. How do you think I'd look with black hair, Princess?"

Daphne blinked owlishly up at him. "Black hair?" she repeated curiously.

"Yep. Black hair for me, and blonde for you," Kerdy said. "Orange t-shirts for both of us. And I could get a sword and shield. You could get a dagger."

Her confusion was instantly obvious. "A dagger?" she repeated. "Sword and shield? Orange T-shirts?" She shook her head slightly and looked at him. "I don't understand, what would we be?"

"And we could put little satyr hooves and horns on Cory when we take him trick-or-treating," Kerdy teased. He knew Daphne would have to catch on soon--she'd mentioned the book series enough times, after all. He'd read them all in one night so he could impress her.

Daphne's eyes suddenly lit up in understanding. "Percy Jackson!" she exclaimed, excited that she'd caught on - even if it had been dressing her baby brother up as a satyr that had triggered her memory.

Kerdy laughed at her exclamation. "So what do you think? Should we dye our hair for this? You can call me Seaweed Brain."

She giggled, and suddenly latched onto him, hugging him tightly. "Okay!" she said happily. "Kerdy, you're the best!"

Kerdy had a harder time picking Daphne up sometimes, now that they were near the same age. Still, he hoisted her up and gave one swing-around before setting her back down and kissing the top of her head. "I try. So, any news from Puck yet?"

Daphne shook her head. "Not since the last letter he sent," she said. "Though he did send a postcard that was supposedly written by Celeste. The last one was about how much she wanted oats. Or something."

"...Written by Celeste?" Kerdy asked.

"Small little postcards with blurbs about what the place they were in is like for a horse," Daphne said with a shake of her head. "And he signs them with her name. I think it's his way of trying to keep the humor light when he doesn't find something about Sabrina."

"I still can't believe he took Celeste with him. I mean I know she threatened to break his head with her hooves when he tried to ditch her with your grandma, but it's gotta be slowing him down..." Kerdy shook his head. "I know it'll be okay. He'll find her, Princess."

Daphne nodded. "Besides," she said softly, "Celeste loves Sabrina, too." She leaned against Kerdy, resting her head against his side. "They'll find her no matter how long it takes."

"Yeah," Kerdy murmured. "Besides, they've been through way too much to let that mini-apocalypse ruin their happily ever after."

Daphne nodded fervently, her braid bouncing. "They really really really deserve a happily ever after," she said.

"Think they'll get married?" Kerdy asked.

"If they do, they have to have a huge wedding," Daphne said, excitement creeping into her voice. "Oh, do you think Sabrina would let me be a bridesmaid? Cory could be the ring bearer, and I'm sure Snow would let Cassia be the flower girl!"

Kerdy laughed again. "I think as Sabrina's sister, you'd be the Maid of Honor, Daphne."

Daphne couldn't contain her bounce. "Really?"

"Yep. And Mustardseed would be the Best Man, and he'd walk with you... But once that's done with, I wouldn't let you out of my arms for the rest of the reception," Kerdy said thoughtfully.

"Would you dance with me, Kerdy?" Daphne asked softly, a little shyly.

"Of course. A princess like you is the only reason why a guy like me learns to dance."

There went that blush again. "You're really good at flattery," Daphne said softly. She smiled at Kerdy. "We're almost to my house, can you stay long?"

"On your mom's orders, if we do homework, I can stay for dinner," Kerdy said thoughtfully. "Want to get that done, then go see a movie first?"

"Sure," Daphne said with a happy nod. "Is there a movie you want to see?"

"Not really, but it's a dark place where I can kiss you without being scared of your dad," Kerdy's reply was accompanied by a blush. "I mean, if I'm not being a jerk. I mean, if you want to kiss me. And... yeah, stuff."

"You've never been a jerk, and of course I want to kiss you," Daphne said, blushing. "So let's finish homework and then see what's playing."

Kerdy glanced down at Daphne, smiling softly. It still amazed him that she was so happy to be with him. He never wanted to take her for granted.

When he glanced up at the sky, a troubled look crossed his features. It had already been three months. And while he constantly told Daphne everything would be okay, he wasn't honestly as optimistic.

***.*.*.*.***

"Have you stopped by to say hello to your parents?" the young woman asked, leaning her elbows on the counter of a display case filled with diamonds. "Last I hear, Titania is driving Oberon mad. Then again, when is she not? It's mutual."

Irene smiled gently. She had been trying to cheer Puck up during his quick re-stock in New York. After all, with Oberon becoming successful enough to pull in real money and reach a high status by non-everafter standards, Puck was able to use his money and influence to get tickets or passports or anything else he needed. He flew to many places, but bringing Celeste had also been a hinder. Luckily, Titania had used magic to turn Celeste into a bite-sized horse.

Well, not bit-sized. Celeste was around the size of a 'My Little Pony' toy, so Puck could take her anywhere with him.

"Nah, I haven't dropped by yet, though Mustardseed's last letter indicated I better do it this time instead of just skipping town," Puck said with a grin. He looked down at Celeste, who was trotting around on the glass case, investigating what a jewelry shop was like from the viewpoint of a My Little Pony.

Puck looked at Irene. "But I guess dropping by won't be so bad, as long as neither of them are homicidal."

Irene chuckled. "They're not," she said, shaking her head. "They're actually both quite lovely when they see eye-to-eye. Right now though, I believe they're arguing over a fine detail that happened over a century ago. Mustardseed tells me they're trying to make him pick a side to agree with and he's feigning selective amnesia."

".... I'm really, really scared to ask, but what's this 'fine detail' supposed to be?" Puck asked warily.

"Something about the color of Titania's dress during some important event," Irene shrugged her delicate shoulders. "I'm sure you know better than I do how they can be."

Puck snickered. "Yeah," he said. "Boy, do I know. Celeste, be careful." Celeste was at the edge of the case, peering down over the side of what had to be a cliff for her.

"So how long do you plan on staying before you go looking again?" Irene asked, reaching out to lightly pet Celeste, and usher her back towards the middle of the case.

Celeste nuzzled Irene's hand as she was guided back to the middle of the case.

"Only a few days," Puck said with a shake of his head. "I'll drop in on my parents, then go check on the marshmallow and make sure Kerdy's treating her right. Then I'll head off."

"I hope you know, all of the Everafter community is trying to help," Irene murmured. "We're all grateful for what the Grimms, especially Sabrina, have done for us. Word travels fast... If any of us find her, you'll know."

Puck hesitated for a moment, and then swallowed hard. He looked like he was trying to hide the emotion that was threatening to come through. "Thanks," he said quietly. "That really... thanks."

Irene's smile was warm. "And whether or not he cares or it was a stunt to make him look better and more humane... Your father ordered many of his court to search their areas thoroughly."

"He _better_," Puck said with a grin, though he reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. "Damn, I guess that means I have to thank him."

She laughed, then prodded Celeste towards him. "Go on. You have a romantic recovery mission to get back to."

Celeste trotted back to Puck, who picked her up and placed her in the little carrying case he'd come up with for her, which hung off his shoulder like a messenger bag. "Thanks, Irene," he said. "I'll catch you later."

She waved to him as he left the store, before sighing softly and looking to her jewelry. "I sure hope he finds her."

Puck stepped out into the busy street and glanced down at his watch. From where he was, it'd be easier to stop by his family's place first, then head to Staten Island to find the Grimms.

He felt Celeste scramble a little inside her case, not really enjoying the sounds of the city, and patted the bag lightly before heading off. Mustardseed hadn't been kidding when he'd told Puck he had to drop by this time. And it sounded like his patience was being worn thin by their parents.

***.*.*.*.***

"Hey, anyone home?"

A couple of hours after he'd left Irene's, Puck's voice rang out through the Grimm house. He'd just gone up and let himself right in - he knew where the spare key was.

Upstairs in her room, where she was working on homework with Kerdy - with the door open, Henry was still just as strict with her about it as with Sabrina - Daphne looked up with a startled look on her face.

Kerdy paused, pencil stilling on the paper where he'd been aimlessly doodling and waiting for Daphne to catch up. Homework was much easier for him, especially because he was still repeating grades. "Is that Puck?"

"Hey, marshmallow, I see your shoes - better get down here before I put whipped cream in them!"

"It's Puck!" Daphne cried, scrambling to her feet and rushing out of the room. "Kerdy, come on!"

Kerdy was slower to rise, though he did hurry out of the room to make sure Daphne didn't fall and trip herself. Currently, Henry was at work and Veronica had taken Cory to the doctor for a checkup. Veronica was due back any moment, though.

Puck grinned the moment he saw Daphne and Kerdy, setting Celeste down on the floor as looked up. "Hey, you two."

"When did you get back, Puck?" Daphne asked, rushing over to hug him - and being careful of Celeste, of course.

Kerdy nearly tripped when he saw Celeste. He had not expected her to be so... bite-sized.

Celeste looked up at Kerdy, and then trotted over to him, giving a tiny whicker of greeting.

Daphne pulled back from her Puck hug and blinked. "Is that..." She stared at the little horse, finally realizing just _how_ small Celeste was.

Kerdy picked Celeste up and pet her, eyes slightly wide. "Think she'd freak out if we put her next to Cory's toys?" Some of them happened to be bigger. And one was a horse.

Celeste's ears flicked back and forth.

Puck grinned. "What, you want me to carry around a traumatized pony?" he asked.

"Would that really traumatize her?" Daphne asked with wide eyes.

"Maybe," Kerdy said, grinning slightly. "Don't worry, we won't. So, how goes the search, Puck?"

Daphne immediately looked at Puck hopefully.

He pushed his hand through his blond hair. "Slow," he admitted with a soft sigh. "But I'm not going to give up."

"Hey, your room here and Sabrina's are both ready for you guys to move in," Kerdy said. "No one thinks you'll give up."

Puck grinned at Kerdy and nodded. "By the way, how're you holding up?" he asked the other boy. "After all, it's your turn to come under Henry's wrath."

Kerdy cringed a bit. "Well, Henry's never caught us doing anything inappropriate, so you're still the devil as far as his daughters are concerned."

Daphne blushed, going over to Kerdy and stroking Celeste's small back.

Puck smirked. "Hey, happy to pave the way for you," he said.

"Appreciate the work you've done," Kerdy said, without missing a beat.

Daphne's blush threatened to overrun her face. "Guys..."

Puck winked at Kerdy. "I think we're embarrassing her."

Kerdy wrapped his free arm around Daphne and kissed the top of her head. "So how long are you staying?" he asked, changing the subject so Daphne wouldn't be embarrassed or uncomfortable.

"Probably just for the night," Puck replied. "I stopped by my parents' place, and that took a little longer than I planned, so I figured I'd head out in the morning."

"Where are you going next?" Daphne asked, leaning against Kerdy.

Puck shrugged in response. "Not quite sure yet."

"Mrs. Grimm and Cory will be home soon," Kerdy said. "Daphne and I were gonna go catch a movie, but we'll probably stay here instead now, and then it's dinner time."

Puck grinned knowingly. "You don't have to cancel your movie plans on account of me," he said.

"But if you're only going to be here for one night, we don't want to miss you," Daphne said.

"We'll go to the movies on the weekend instead," Kerdy said. "You can tell us about your adventures."

"Well, all right," Puck said agreeably enough. "Hey, think I'd be in trouble if I swiped something to snack on? I'm starved."

"Didn't you eat at your parents'?" Daphne asked curiously.

"Yes. So?"

"Go ahead," Veronica said from behind him. "Next time, shut the door. The spiders get in, and Cory thinks spiders are evil."

Cory looked up from his mother's arms, then nodded empathetically. "Spidaw bad."

Puck turned, his eyes lighting up when he saw Veronica and Cory. "Hey," he said cheerfully. "Spiders are bad, Cory? Yeah, they creep me out, too."

Cory reached for Puck with a big smile, and Veronica let him go. The end result was a very hyperactive toddler clutching at Puck's hair and shirt. "Pak!"

Puck took it in stride - after all, it had been awhile since he'd dropped by. "Man, Cory, you've gotten big. What the heck are they feeding you?"

Cory's eyes brightened. "Chock-wat, an'a fishy."

Veronica stared. "When did you eat a fishy, sweetie?"

The boy looked perplexed for several moments, before looking up at Puck. "Chock-wat an'a doggy!"

Puck couldn't help but laugh. That sounded like something he would have said when he was a baby.

"You ate a dog?" Daphne blurted out before she could help herself, staring at her little brother.

"He had a chocolate coin and a hot dog," Veronica said, looking amused.

Cory nodded eagerly. "Doggy!"

"Oh, good," Daphne said with relief.

"I could have figured that one out, this _is _New York," Puck said, unfazed when Daphne stuck her tongue out at him in response.

"You staying overnight, Puck?" Veronica asked, reaching out to pet Cory's hair while he pushed his face against Puck's shoulder in an attempt to nuzzle.

"Yeah, I figured I could," Puck replied with a nod, holding Cory easily. "Kerdy said my room was all made up."

"We put your stuff in boxes, but yes, your room is waiting for you," Veronica agreed. "Why don't you kids hang out while I go start on dinner and some snacks for ya?"

"Sure, I'll keep the kid with me," Puck said, grinning at Cory. "Work for you, Cory?"

Cory looked up at his name. Then he pointed to his face and nodded, smiling. "Sabwina?" he asked hopefully.

Daphne immediately bit her lip, hearing the hopeful tone.

"Not yet, kiddo," Puck said with a shake of his head. "Be patient with me, okay? I'm still looking."f

Cory stuck out his lower lip, then puffed his cheeks up. "Fwah," he sighed, letting the air out. "Oki."

"Thanks," Puck said. "Want to go sit down with Kerdy and your sister?"

"Pak," Cory answered, hugging him sweetly.

"Aww," Kerdy joked.

Puck flushed a little, shooting Kerdy a 'don't start' look.

They headed into the living room and sat own, Daphne sitting next to Kerdy and Puck sitting with Cory on his lap. Celeste found a comfortable place on the coffee table to lay down for a bit.

Kerdy stretched out. "Want to watch a movie?" he asked. "Cory likes the singing cartoons a lot."

"You mean like, Disney movies?" Puck asked.

"Precisely," Kerdy said with a nod.

"You know, someone really needs to write to them and tell them that they're missing some great stories," Puck said with a shake of his head.

Daphne shot Kerdy an amused look. Puck was constantly complaining that it wasn't fair that Disney had never done a movie about _him. _There was also the fact that they _had_ done one for Peter Pan.

"How about not?" Kerdy joked, looking to Daphne. "Besides, they get them wrong half the time anyway."

He stood and headed to the DVD cabinet, opening it. "Which one, Cory?"

"Tinka!" Cory exclaimed. "Wanna fwy!"

Kerdy stifled his laughter. He had shown Cory a certain movie many times.

All at once Puck started to twitch. "You don't mean..."

"It's one of Cory's favorites," Daphne said apologetically.

"I think he has a little crush on Tinkerbell," Kerdy laughed.

Cory wiggled shyly. "Tinka'an'Cassa," he explained.

"And Cassia, eh?" Puck couldn't help grinning. Only two and already Cory was crushing on a girl.

Daphne's eyes lit up and she looked at Kerdy. Maybe they could convince Snow and William to let Cassia be Tinkerbell for Halloween one time, and then visit.

Kerdy looked to Daphne in amusement, knowing what she was thinking. Then he shook his head. It'd probably make Cory's head pop. That or William would try to kill him.

Daphne looked a touch disappointed, but only for a moment. Cassia and Cory were cute enough already, they didn't need to be _cuter_.

After the movie and a very delightful dinner that involved Cory trying to wear his corn as a hat to show off for Puck, Kerdy had to go home and the others were ushered to bed. Veronica advised Puck to leave before Cory woke up, because the little boy could adjust to change, but he could not handle goodbyes.

So early the next morning, Puck packed up Celeste and slipped out of his room quietly, being mindful not to wake Cory.

A small basket was sitting downstairs with snacks in it, and a note tucked in from Daphne apologizing for not being awake when Puck left - to which Puck grinned, because no one ever expected Daphne to be up before dawn.

He grabbed the basket and headed for the front door. It was time to start his search for Sabrina again, no matter where it took him.

***.*.*.*.***

"Don't run head of daddy," the stern, yet somehow boyishly playful voice commanded.

He walked along the field around their secluded home, edging on a large forest. The forest itself was wild and untamed, and often contained animals. They came and went, and while most were territorial, they never harmed the owners of the land. For that reason, the young man wasn't very worried about his son. Still, the boy was only five and very fragile in his father's eyes.

"Daddy, run faster!" the cheerful voice of the little boy called out as he turned around and jogged backwards, facing his father with a beaming smile. "Then I won't run ahead of you!"

Laughing, he jogged to catch up. "Okay okay. You win, Tiger. So, what adventure are we going on today?"

He didn't stop jogging when he caught up, swooping his son into his arms and boosting him into the air, catching him a moment later.

Tiger laughed, his eyes bright with happiness as his father caught him.

"I want to see baby animals," Tiger proclaimed. "Can we find some baby animals, Daddy?"

"Hm..." Tiger's dad looked thoughtful. "Baby animals? But will you try to take them home again? You know how your mother doesn't like that."

Instantly Tiger shook his head. "Uh uh," he said. "Mommy says that baby animals are most cutest when they're with their mommies. I want to see baby animals with their mommies."

Laughing, the older man cuddled his son to his chest. "Just like you're cutest when you're with your mommy. Come to think of it, she's not a bad sight either when she's got you." He winked to let his son know he was joking. He was always playful and teasing with his wife, which prompted her to constantly ask him if he'd really ever grown up.

Tiger giggled and pressed his face into his father's chest. "I love you, Daddy," he said. "An' I love Mommy." He smiled. "Mommy says you're lucky to have her and I am too!"

"We're both lucky to have her," he agreed, tucking his son against his chest and continuing on. "Let's find a place we haven't explored."

The little boy let out a gasp. "Are there places we haven't explored?"

"The whole world, Tig," His father agreed. "The whole world."

That being said, he took the young boy on an adventure, finding many animals on the way. In one portion of the forest, the grass glowed gently green, magic clinging to the vines and trees. "Hm... Part of the Enchanted Forest is in our backyard? How did I never notice that?"

"What's the Enchanted Forest, Daddy?" Tiger asked, trying to climb onto his father's head so that he could look around more.

"Well, it's a Forest that contains magical items, creatures, a king and queen... I've met the King, he's very nice. Well, I've met two kings, one has had a very successful reign since taking over. I'll tell you the story sometime," He murmured. "It might be dangerous...."

A smirk touched his lips. "Wanna explore it?"

Tiger nodded. "Should we not tell Mommy we explored a danger place?" he whispered.

"Exactly. Good boy."

They crept into the enchanted portion of the forest to find beautiful wildflowers blooming in an oval around a sleeping maiden. She looked young in her sleep, though the older man predicted her eyes would tell a different story. Being an expert on growing up, he could sense when someone had grown beyond their years.

She was probably a teenager, with long golden hair and one green fairy wing flat beneath her upper body and splayed on her left side. She was wearing plain hip-hugging jeans and a green hoodie, skin unmarred, and entire body lightly glowing.

"Daddy," Tiger whispered when he found his voice, having gone speechlessly when he'd seen her, "who is she? Look, she has wings."

"One wing," was the answer his father gave, before they approached. The moment he stepped into the clearing, his foot touching one of the flowers, she stirred.

"Daddy, she moved!" his son said in a hushed voice of amazement. "Look." He pointed at her, eyes wide with surprise.

The girl's eyes fluttered open, cerulean and confused. "My head hurts," she mumbled, turning on her right side and looking at them both. "Who... Are you, and where am I?"

"I'm Peter Darling, and this is my son, Tiger Darling," Tiger's father answered. "And you're at our home."

Tiger gave her an adorable 'love me, I'm cute' smile, eyes shining. "Welcome to our home!" he said with adorable politeness.

"And who are you?" Peter added after Tiger.

She looked down at her arms, pulling up a sleeve and looking to her bracelet. It was the only jewelry she had on. "My... My name is Sabrina," she said finally. "After that, I'm not sure."

"Sabrina, eh?" Peter asked, looking thoughtful. "Well, get off the ground before you get spiders in your hair. Cockroaches around here too."

Sabrina was on her feet so fast it was as if she had teleported. "Out. Out out out get me out of this forest please."

"Daddy, are there really spiders and cockroaches on the ground here?" Tiger asked him. Then, before Peter could reply, he looked back at Sabrina. "And why were you sleeping on the floor, Miss Sabrina?"

"Yes Tiger," Peter said cheerfully. "I get them away from your mommy in exchange for kisses." He glanced at Sabrina, watching her hop over the flowers and towards them.

"No clue," Sabrina sighed. "I feel like I've done this before. Not woken up in a forest--I mean I feel déjà vu for losing my memory. Have I had amnesia before? Oh never mind... You don't know me."

"Déjà vu means feeling like you've done, heard, or seen something before," Peter whispered to Tiger.

"Ooo." Tiger's mouth formed a small 'o'. Then he paused. "Daddy, what's amesa?"

"Amnesia is when you don't remember things--usually large chunks of 'things'... Like if you woke up and forgot who I was. Don't worry though, amnesia doesn't just happen to someone, so you won't forget me," Peter added the last part quickly to make sure Tiger didn't get sad.

Tiger's eyes went wide, and he nodded slowly. "Oki," he whispered. "I don't wanna forget Daddy."

Then he looked at Sabrina. "Miss Sabrina, we'll make your am-ne-si-a better," he said, pronouncing each word carefully. "Mommy can make you chicken noodle soup. That always makes me feel better."

Sabrina bit her lip. "Thanks... Tiger?" she looked to Peter, and when he nodded, she turned back to the little boy. "Thanks, Tiger."

"C'mon though," Peter said. "We should get home and try to find out what's wrong with ya. Need a hand?"

He held his hand out to her, but when she tried to take it, she passed right through.

Tiger's eyes widened. "Daddy, she went through you," he said in amazement.

Peter and Sabrina looked at each other for a very long moment. Then Peter took his hand back. "Yeah, let's go find out what's wrong with you."

"Please," Sabrina said in a strangled, confused voice.

Suddenly Tiger looked contrite, realizing that Sabrina was really worried and maybe upset too. "Don't be sad, Miss Sabrina," he said in a small voice.

"I'm not," Sabrina whispered. "Don't worry about me, kay Tiger?"

Tiger bit his lip, and then nodded slightly. "Okay," he said softly. "You should meet my Mommy."

"Okay," Sabrina agreed readily. The walk out of the forest took considerably less time, leaving them in a plain, grassy field. In the center of that field was a beautiful log cabin, large and making Sabrina feel like she was home.

"That's our house," Peter said. "My wife, Wendy, is probably making dinner right now."

"Mommy!" Tiger called suddenly, his voice ringing out clearly. "Mommy, we have a guest!"

A moment later, though they were still a ways away, the front door opened and a young woman with long brown hair tied back with a blue ribbon appeared in the doorway.

Peter smiled. "Still as beautiful as the day I met her. Oh wait, I lied. Way more beautiful. Remember Tiger, it's considered good manners to compliment a lady every time you see her."

Sabrina looked thoughtful as she walked a little ways behind them. Wendy? Peter? Why did those names sound familiar?

Tiger nodded solemnly. "Yes, Daddy."

When they got close enough, Wendy raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Who's our guest?" she asked, looking at Sabrina. "And where did she come from?" Their closest neighbor was a long ways away, and Wendy had never seen Sabrina before.

"Well, her name's Sabrina and she has no idea where she's from or why she's not tangible," Peter said, setting Tiger down. "Oh right--by the way, she's not tangible."

Sabrina offered a shaky smile. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you," Wendy said as Tiger rushed to her legs and hugged one of them. She reached down and stroked her son's hair. "I'm Wendy Darling, though I'm sure Peter's already told you that. Why don't we all go inside?"

Sabrina nodded softly, murmuring 'nice to meet you' for a second time. When they were all inside, Peter shut the door behind them and didn't bother locking it. "Are you hungry?"

Sabrina shook her head, paused, and then nodded. "I am pretty hungry. I feel like I've been sleeping for months. I don't smell like it, do I?"

Tiger peeked out from behind Wendy's leg, and shook his head. "You smell like flowers, Miss Sabrina," he said sweetly.

"Whew," Sabrina smiled down at Tiger. "I still think I should shower."

"We have a shower upstairs. Why don't ya go do that while we get food ready?" Peter asked. "Hey, Tiger could show you where to go."

"Can I, Daddy?" Tiger asked, as if the responsibility of showing Sabrina where the bathroom was, was the best thing ever.

Wendy smiled down at her son, and gave him a light nudge with her hand, sending him over towards Sabrina.

"Yep," Peter nodded down at him with a grin.

"Well, okay," Sabrina offered her hand to Tiger and smiled. "Show me, please?"

"Okay, Miss Sabrina." Tiger reached up automatically to take Sabrina's hand.

Sabrina paused when Tiger's hand went right through hers. "Oh... Right. I doubt I can take a shower, huh?"

"Forgot about that," Peter snapped his fingers. "Sorry, Sabrina. Good job though, Tiger."

Tiger blinked, and then blushed a little at his father's praise.

"Oh, dear," Wendy said, biting her lip. "I wonder if that also extends to the food..."

Sabrina groaned. "This sucks."

"Well," Peter said. "You can walk on solid ground--why not try sitting on a chair to see if it works?"

She obliged, sitting on one of the chairs near the table. She didn't go through it. "Okay. I'm not a ghost?"

"You pass through us, but not through inanimate objects..." Wendy bit her lip, looking a little perplexed. "I've never heard of anything like that before."

Tiger immediately rushed to Sabrina's chair and poked it. "It feels the same," he announced, having thought that maybe it was a special chair.

"Well, you're probably not a ghost," Peter said. "So don't worry that you're dead. But you're clearly not fully alive, either."

Sabrina sighed.

"Sabrina, what's the very last thing that you remember?" Wendy asked, looking at her in concern. "Anything at all before waking up?"

Sabrina bit her lip, glancing to her left hand. She cradled it briefly, running her thumb over the spot where a ring might go. "I... Honestly don't remember anything. Except my name. It's Sabrina."

"Maybe it'll come to you in time," Wendy said gently. "Since you can sit in the chair, maybe you'll be able to eat and shower after all."

"I don't want to risk losing my clothes to tangibility," Sabrina said, blushing a little. "I'd like to try to eat, though."

Wendy nodded. "Peter, Tiger sweetie, have a seat and I'll get dinner," she said, kissing the top of Tiger's head before hurrying into the kitchen.

Instead of sitting, Peter followed Wendy and placed a hand on her back. "After we put food out there," he murmured. "I need to talk to ya."

Wendy paused and looked at him, and then nodded slightly. "Is there a problem?" she whispered softly, concerned.

"Maybe not," Peter murmured back. "I think I know who she is."

That made his wife's eyes widen slightly, and then she nodded. "Let's get this served, and then we'll talk some more."

After finding out Sabrina _could _have food, the two retreated into the kitchen, leaving Sabrina to watch Tiger.

"So," Peter said, plopping onto one of the counters. "How much do you know about Ferryport Landing?"

Wendy brushed a stray piece of hair back, tucking it behind her ear. "Only that if you're an Everafter, you don't go near there unless you plan to move in permanently," she said. "Because of the Grimm barrier."

"Well, my resources tell me the rules have changed," Peter said. "You know how Tinkerbell loves her gossip."

He glanced towards the door. "I think that's Sabrina Grimm. The one who supposedly caused that annoying Puck to start growing up."

"You realize it's been dozens of years since you had a run in with him, how do you know he's still annoying?" Wendy asked with amusement.

Then she shook her head slightly and glanced in the direction of the dining room. "You really think she's Sabrina Grimm?"

"I think so," Peter nodded. "As for Puck, he's always going to be annoying."

Wendy bit her lip. "We can't just tell her that she's one of the Grimms," she said. "Not if she has amnesia. She might not believe us, for one thing."

"I don't plan on telling her anything," Peter said. "Not only is this gonna be a good way to get back at Puck for sending me all that hate mail a few decades ago, but if he really cares enough about her to grow up... He'll come find her on his own. I mean, Wendy, you know how hard it was for me..."

He reached out and cupped her cheek. "I'm sorry it took me so long, by the way."

Then he was sighing. "Puck seemed like a lost cause, even to me. I seriously thought he was gonna stay that way forever. So when Tink told me that he started growing a few years ago, I didn't even believe her. Then I heard it through other sources when Oberon came back to life a few months back..."

Wendy smiled gently, bringing her hand up to cover Peter's and hold it to her cheek. "It's amazing how feelings can change a person," she said softly.

Peter grinned back at her. "Do you finally forgive me for naming our son after my first crush?"

Wendy pretended to look as if she were seriously thinking the answer over. "Oh...I suppose," she said with a sigh. "Only because he's so sweet, mind you."

"Besides," Peter looked utterly cheerful and confident. "Tiger Lily was pretty, and sweet, but you're beautiful, and the only girl I look at. I knew her for years and never once thought about growing up."

A sudden blush came over Wendy's cheeks, and she ducked her head shyly. "Peter..." Even after all their years together, he still had a way of making her blush like a young schoolgirl.

He pulled her into his arms and nuzzled her hair. "I'm so charming, aren't I?"

Wendy leaned against him, resting her head on his chest and closing her eyes. "Quite," she murmured. "Not as much as you _think_ you are...but more than enough." She snuggled against him.

"We could always try to make Tiger a sister while they're busy," he leered jokingly, tightening his arms.

"Peter!" Wendy's face turned scarlet. "We don't know how long she'll keep Tiger's attention."

"We don't need that much time!" He lifted her onto the counter and kissed her suddenly, cutting off any protest and moving his hands to her waist.

Wendy gasped into his mouth, but she couldn't stop herself from melting, her heart fluttering at his actions. No matter how much she tried to be the voice of reason, Peter knew all of her weaknesses.

After a moment, he broke the kiss and smiled, nipping her bottom lip. "I mean, what's the point of being grown up if we don't do grownup things?" he teased with a chuckle.

"This isn't the _only_ reason you grew up, I hope," Wendy couldn't resist teasing back, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

"Pfft," Peter grinned up at her. "Why stay a kid when the most beautiful woman in the world could be mine? I'd have been an idiot to think playing games and getting into mischief could compare."

Sabrina was silent from the doorway, standing next to Tiger. The words struck something deep within her.

Wendy leaned down and brushed her lips gently against his. "Okay, maybe you _are_ as charming as you think you are," she said softly, oblivious to Sabrina and Tiger.

"You know you love me," he teased. "And of course I'm charming."

"Peter, and Wendy?" Sabrina murmured suddenly. "And your last name is Darling?"

Peter turned, glancing over at her. "Oh. Hey Sabrina, Tig."

Wendy let out a soft gasp, realizing that they weren't alone, and looked at her son and their guest. "Um..."

Tiger looked at his parents curiously. "Daddy, are you showing Mommy 'fection?"

"Yep," Peter said. "It's 'cause I love your mommy so much."

He pulled back though. "Something wrong, Sabrina?"

"I think I know a story about you guys or something," Sabrina murmured.

Wendy glanced at Peter, and then smiled at Sabrina. "You might," she said softly. "Did something jog your memory?"

"The names," Sabrina answered softly.

"Well, would you remember my story if I said before I got married, my name was Peter Pan?" Peter offered.

Sabrina's eyes went a little wide. "Peter Pan and Wendy Darling... You're--you're a fairytale."

"Our story is," Wendy said with a nod, "though we're actually referred to as 'Everafters'."

Tiger looked at Sabrina and smiled. "Daddy grew up for Mommy," he said. Of course he knew his parents' fairytale.

"I... See," Sabrina murmured. "So how come your last name is Darling if it used to be Pan?"

"Wendy Pan and Tiger Pan sounded really creepy," Peter said with a shrug. "So we went with Darling. Now, Tig's full name can be used to be cute or stern and still affectionate."

"Oh. Okay, I guess," Sabrina said, blinking.

"Also," Wendy added, "for some reason people don't tend to catch on quite so quickly when they hear 'Peter Darling' instead of 'Peter Pan'."

"I'm a Darling!" Tiger said with a bounce, skipping over to his parents.

"Very Darling," Peter chuckled, picking Tiger up.

"So... What am I? I mean... I have a wing," Sabrina turned to look at the wing as she spoke. "But only one. I don't feel a scar..."

"Let me check," Peter offered, setting his adorable son on the counter by Wendy.

Tiger snuggled up against his mother, who wrapped her arm around his shoulders and watched Sabrina in concern.

Sabrina obliged, lifting her hoodie up so he could see the base of her wings a bit better.

"No scar. Wing's just missing. Maybe you get it back when you go tangible?"

"I don't get it," Sabrina murmured, sighing. "I have one wing, I can't touch people, I have no memory, and I'm not freaked out by fairytales being real."

"It could be that the wing and the fairytales are something that you knew about before you lost your memory," Wendy said, "and your subconscious is telling you not to be surprised by them."

"That sounds logical," Sabrina murmured. Then she leaned against the wall. "And still crazy. Sorry, I need to think."

"Not a problem. The third room on the left is empty upstairs if you want to lie down," Peter offered.

"Thanks." Without another word, Sabrina turned and left.

"Mommy, Daddy?" Tiger asked softly, looking at them. "Is Miss Sabrina gonna be okay?"

"Yeah," Peter promised. "She's gonna be okay."

"For now, we'll let her rest as long as she needs to," Wendy said. She kissed the top of Tiger's head. "And you, young man, need to get ready for bed."

Tiger immediately pouted.

Peter pouted right along with him. "Aw Wendy. Another hour? Besides he's a growing boy, I doubt he ate enough!"

Wendy blinked, and looked back and forth between the two of them. "Oh, you two," she said with a laugh. "All right. One more hour. Then you_ both_ go to bed!"

Peter laughed, winking at his son.

***.*.*.*.***

With a heavy sigh, Sabrina raised her left hand over her face, palm towards the ceiling. Her hand didn't look overworked or too pampered, no hair where it shouldn't be, no scars, no marks, no missing fingers…

So why was she confused, or upset?

"This is ridiculous," she mumbled aloud. "What, am I disappointed that I'm not missing a finger? What kind of psycho am I?"

Pausing, she raised her right hand and held it next to her left. "So I'm wearing a bracelet. No other jewelry. At least I'm not high-maintenance? I guess…"

"Something on your mind?"

"Eep!" Sabrina jumped into a sitting position to see Peter in the doorway, leaning against the wall like it should have been honored for the roll of supporting him.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare ya. You looked pensive. Oh, pensive means-"

"I know what pensive means. More or less thoughtful. I explain stuff like that all the time to…" Sabrina trailed off, perplexed. "Well, probably a young family member. I take it you're used to doing that for Tiger?"

"Yep. He's a smart little guy," Peter boasted, walking over and sitting on a chair by the bed. "So, care to share what's on your mind?"

"How come you're not with Tiger?" Sabrina muttered, sitting cross-legged and folding her hands in her lap.

"The boy does love me, but every once in a while, a child needs their mother," Peter said dramatically. "Alas, I relinquished him to Wendy for the night. And it's way past his bedtime. You've been up here forever."

"…Touché," Sabrina sighed. "Okay so… What do you want me to say?"

"What do you want to say?"

"I have no idea, you're the one who said I should talk."

"I said no such thing. I merely suggested that you share whatever's got ya in such a funk," Peter taunted.

"Wow. You're really cocky and annoying sometimes," Sabrina pointed out, and rather bluntly. "Are you always like this?"

"I'm usually cockier. I must be losing my edge. Is it a bad thing?"

"…" Sabrina felt her cheeks get hot, and she was immediately horrified by the realization that she was blushing. "Great. I seem to like cocky weirdoes who think they own the world. Do I have self-esteem issues or something?"

Peter's grin widened. "Nah. Just good taste. And in any case, I'm flattered that you'd hit on me, but I'm devoted to my wife."

"…I am _not _hitting on you," Sabrina griped, scowling in his direction.

"Ahhh, okay, I gotcha," Peter winked at her. "I won't tell."

"I AM NOT HITTING ON YOU!" Sabrina moved to smack his arm, only to yelp as she went through it.

"Sorry, can't do that when we're not on the same tangibility. Maybe next time?"

"Why are you even in here?" she groaned, plopping back down on the bed.

"Seriously," Peter's grin faded, expression becoming serious. "I just wanted to talk to you and see how you were doing. Not sure if you know this, but finding unconscious teenage girls with amnesia and defective wings in enchanted segments of the forest behind my house is not an every day event. So really. Talk."

"…" Sabrina closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them. "First off, I don't know why I only have one wing. Trust me, it doesn't work if I try flying with it, so it's not like I have some super-adapted sense from having grown up like this."

"Like how some people adapt when one of their senses doesn't work? Blind people using their ears, deaf people using-"

"Yes, like that. You don't need to analyze it, do you?"

"Just trying to help."

"Well stop."

"Kay. Continue?"

Sabrina glared at him, before closing her eyes again.

"I use happy thoughts to fly."

"Seriously, are you done interrupting?" Sabrina demanded, sitting up and scowling at him. At his bright grin, she couldn't help but calm down, grinning back. "Okay really. Let me finish. Anyway, I don't feel like this is the first time I've woken up with amnesia. And when I went through people and we thought I might be dead… Well, I kind of feel like I've been dead before. Or killed… Maybe almost killed. A lot. Like, three and a half times."

"How do you get killed half a time?"

"I don't know, don't ask," Sabrina shook her head. "But I feel calm, too. It feels like, for the first time… My head is clear, and I can think normally. Nothing's really weighing me down, and I'm more or less content with who I am. Now, the weird thing is that I have no idea who I am, so how can I be content with it? And I'm not fully content, either. Something's… Wrong."

"You keep looking at your left hand. Are you married? I have a wedding ring." Peter held up his left hand, showing off the gold band there.

"I doubt I'm married. I'm like… Sixteen, or fifteen… I hope I'm not married," Sabrina glared at her hand. "It works for some people at that age, but that's just not me."

"Well, maybe you have a boyfriend and he gave you a ring?" Peter supplied.

Sabrina pondered that thought for several moments, before looking back at Peter. "That might be it, I guess. But I still have this bracelet, so why wouldn't I have a ring if that was the case?"

"Don't ask me. Magic's tricky. And since you were in part of the Enchanted Forest, it's safe to say this is all a result of some magic. Probably big magic."

"All this talk about magic and stuff… Wendy mentioned Everafters. What's the deal with that?"

"Well," Peter paused. "Everafters—basically like she said. Fairytale characters are immortal, magical, and not always as stunningly handsome as me. There are tons. We just have to hide most of the time."

"Am I one?" Sabrina asked.

"Probably," Peter poked a finger through her wing. "You have a freakin' wing."

Sabrina sighed. "Wendy must have the patience of a saint."

"Oh, she does," Peter grinned. "Or I grin and charm my way out of trouble."

"Here's something that confuses me too," Sabrina murmured after a moment. He withdrew his hand from her transparent green wing. "I thought Peter Pan never grew up?"

"Well, ask Wendy and she'll tell you he didn't," Peter winked. "I drive her crazy sometimes. But honestly, all Everafters have the ability to age if they want to. You can pause any time. I think Tiger's trying to stay small. Did you know he's five? Anyway, I was a boy for a long time. It was a blast—I'd stay up late, eat and drink whatever I wanted, get into all kinds of danger and fun, rescue Tiger Lily—don't look at me like that, and yes I named Tiger after her. Wendy wanted to kill me. It's all platonic though, I swear. Anyway, the fun and games were just that—fun and games. In order to really be happy, I realized I wanted to experience the rest of what life had to offer."

He leaned back in his chair. "Wendy was growing older… And it took me a while to catch her. I was hesitant to give up my lifestyle. And Tinkerbell would get really irritated with me because apparently, I just moped all the time. In the end, I kicked myself for how long it took me."

"That sounds kinda romantic," Sabrina murmured, glancing over at him again. "So you grew up for love?"

"Yep. It takes some of us longer than others, but really, once you meet someone you want to be with forever, the decision is easier than ya think."

"So if I'm an Everafter, I've stopped aging?"

"Probably not yet," Peter glanced at her. "Then again, you could be fifty."

"…What?" Sabrina touched her face.

"No, I mean you could be fifty but you stopped aging to look like a teen. I've seen some good lookin' technical grannies. Hey, Wendy is one too. But don't tell her I said that," Peter grinned.

She rolled her eyes and groaned. "But if I'm an Everafter, does that mean I'll stop aging when I fall in love, or start aging, or whatever?"

"It depends," Peter said honestly. "If you met your soul mate—yes I said soul mate, stop looking at me like that—then you'd probably adjust on instinct to either slow down or catch up.

"It sounds complicated," Sabrina murmured. "I hope I'm not really old."

"Pfft. It's not that bad, ya know. Anyway, don't think too hard. Just relax, things'll sort themselves out before long."

"Hey Peter?" Sabrina turned to him, frowning a little.

"What's up?"

"Do you know how long I was asleep?"

Peter glanced at her thoughtfully. "Not really, but I heard some really funky magical surges happened about three months ago. If you were involved, that would explain some things."

"Three months," Sabrina echoed softly. "Do you think anyone who knows me might be looking for me?"

"I'm positive," Peter told her, putting his hand on her head—and accidentally through it. "Whoops. Sorry, Tiger loves being pat on the head."

"Lovely. Get your thumb out of my forehead."

He pulled back, but she smiled after a moment. "Thanks though, Peter. I mean it."

"No prob. You can stay here if you want—the best thing to do if you're lost is stay put and wait for someone to find you."

"Usually that's if you were with someone who will know where to look for you," Sabrina sighed. "But there's no point in Sabrina the Amnesiac Ghost going on an adventure to find people I probably won't even recognize."

"Yeesh," Peter leaned back in his chair. "You're so dramatic. Oh woe is me, I have amnesia! It's not the end of the world."

"Amnesia and an intangible body," Sabrina griped. "Besides, I'm not being dramatic. It's just a fact."

"Mmhmm. Well, at least you don't have an evil twin taking your real place—I hope—and at least it's not like you're being cursed by a witch—I hope—or being used as a sacrifice. I've heard about that kinda stuff happening. And-" he continued before she could get a word in. "At least if you had to have disabilities for a while, they're amnesia and this whole ghostliness thing you've got going on. Could be worse, could be blind, deaf, mute, or even unable to feel things."

Sabrina shuddered. "Kay, that last one does sound like the worst. I'm glad that hasn't happened."

She paused. "And I just felt like that conversation was ironic. I don't know why, though."

"You seem like a trouble magnet. I'm gonna guess the people who care about you have to do a lot to keep you out of danger."

"Gee, thanks," Sabrina frowned up at him, then plopped back down on the bed. "So know anything significant about the whole one-winged deal?"

"Well, I played a video game where-"

"If you're going to tell me how Super Mario flies with a Raccoon Suit and not wings, I'm going to find a way to make my hand tangible just so I can smack you."

"Don't interrupt," Peter laughed. "It was a role-playing game. And in that story, there were angels that only had one wing each so they had to fly together. Well, in a legend. Oh, and I played this awesome Final Fantasy game where this dude with long silver hair had only one wing. He killed people though. Hm. You a crazy murderer?"

Sabrina shot him a very dry look, to which he grinned back at. "Just checking."

"Wendy lets you play video games?" Sabrina asked after a moment. "You're a husband and a dad."

"And still a boy at heart," Peter chuckled. "Besides… Wendy plays video games too. She's my dream girl."

"I'm glad things worked out for the both of you," Sabrina said sincerely.

"Well, it coulda been you," Peter teased. "If I'd never grown up, you'd be hot for me."

"That's…Kinda gross, you're an old guy," Sabrina pointed out. "And you have no idea whether or not I'd be hot for you."

"Well, back when I was still looking like a kid, I met this other kid who didn't want to grow up. We kinda had a disagreement or two, and he has pink wings, so when people thought he should wear tights too, he got a little offended. And then he was jealous that I was way more popular than he was, a point, which I rubbed in his face all the time. I haven't seen him for a really long time, but I hear he still has a complex when people call him by my name, or compare him. Anyway, that's not the point. The point is, he sounds like the right kind of cocky, arrogant, playful, infuriating guy you like, and in appearance, we could both be your age."

"I guess that's true, but still, stop flirting, it's freaking me out," Sabrina murmured, thinking over his words. She grinned to let him know she wasn't really offended or anything.

"I'm only teasing. Wendy's my forever-girl, and judging by the way you keep looking at your ring finger, you've got a forever-guy," Peter said, standing up. "And my bet is that it's the boy I just told you about."

"Highly doubtful. Just because the cocky attitude made me blush doesn't mean I'd actually date a guy that acted that way."

"You'd be surprised, Sabrina," Peter said seriously. "Because once ya fall, it changes things."

He headed to the door. "Since you can touch the light switch, I won't tuck you in," he teased. "But try to get some sleep."

"I've been asleep for three months," Sabrina said dully.

"Maybe, maybe not. And besides, if you'd been simply sleeping for three months, that's called a coma. Get some real sleep."

Sabrina rolled her eyes, but she did nod to him as he left and shut the door behind him.

She lay on the bed in silence for several moments, thinking over all of the things they'd spoken about. After a while, she got up to turn off the light, heading back to the bed and plopping down to think some more.

Was Peter right? Would she really be serious about a boy who acted that way? Or was he just teasing her because it was part of his personality?

She had no idea.

But if Peter was right, it meant someone was looking for her.

"Hurry up and find me," she mumbled, rolling on her side and closing her eyes.

***.*.*.*.***

**A/N:**

**Sky: **Kay so, some of you might be freaking out because we made Peter Pan grow up. That's too bad XD I didn't wanna bring Peter in at Sabrina's age and make him a rival for Puck in this story, because Puck and Sabrina have already been through enough. In another story, we might alter the time so that Peter and Puck can fight at their normal ages more, but not this epic one.

**Fun Fact #9871112: I've never seen Peter Pan. I've only seen 'Hook'. XD Ayns gave me a quick rundown on the characters, but since they've aged and this is a fanfic, we had a bit of free reign on them.**

**Fun Fact #9042: Tiger was my idea. I had a cute image of Wendy being like 'You named our son after Tiger Lily? You jerk.' But playfully of course.**

**Fun Fact #5436: The Enchanted Forest Peter refers to is from the Enchanted Forest Chronicles. The first book is called 'Dealing with Dragons' and I love the series. Yes, the Kings he referred to are Mendenbar and Daystar. Squee~**

**Fun Fact #12012: The video games Peter spoke about were Xenogears and Final Fantasy VII. Ayns and I are gamer geeks, so we gotta inject some of our gamer humor and back-story in there :3**

**Fun Fact #51510: 5-15-10 is my new wedding day. But that's not the fun fact, it's just the reason for the number. Ayns and I are also X-men fans, and support the couple of Warren Worthington III/Betsy Braddock, or, Angel(Archangel later)/Psylocke. Wiki them if you're curious lol**

**Fun Fact #895: Because someone found me on YouTube and looked at my favorites, then asked me--"Spark Inside Us" and "Let Me Be Your Wings" are probably my two favorite older-cartoon songs.**

**Okay, wrapping it up here, we'll update ASAP and get Viva's one-shot out next (she already sent in the request, it's adorable, and we adore her too!) and keep bringin' the fics.**

**Special thanks to all of our wonderfluffy reviewers since the last chapter!: mindreadingweirdo, SeekDreamsAndFindHope, knoxalot, Horsegirl99, Maximumsuperiority, awesomeness14, Zeorzia, Ascaisil (CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR WEDDING AGAIN HON :D), A CertainPeantButterSandwich, JulzAndKate, Blue-Eyed-Lily, mucho gravy-o, Trickster Queen464, Lara D, obsessedwithbooks, Mystical Moonstar, she wants to move, Harmony352, KittyPryde90, Curlscat, Sabrinagoodfellow, Lumiere Nordiques, flyingdolphinpuppies, Lilyflower-314, msjezzi-bella, RO-Z 28, Elena Forest, Taylor Wimbley, Amy, Aisha (If you mean delicious, the word is 'oishii', so you were very close! :3), Sydney Elizabeth Breed, DragonFly7312, RainbowofSmiles16, SweeneyToddLover26, Lyla Domae, ILoveGeorgeCooper, DeDe, ohnoDK, iluvsummer95, Cookie-Dough-Always, blondeandshort, Viva-Musica, devilshalo98, gothicgal000, oneofyourbiggestfansLR, booksrmyworld4evah, Grimmfan54390, DarrenShanIsMine, chemicalsilver, Mintshadow22 (lol! It'll be Puck. We're romance suckers. And… I'll address this below rofl), par99ke3, emerald and onyx, anonymous, **and **Squid Lips & Chocolate Ants!**

**WOW. **That was a lot to catch up on, and many of you reviewed more than once, so thank you very much, you guys make us incredibly happy. We're still just really flattered so many people are enjoying our story. Wow, snowing pretty hard outside so I had better hurry and update. To address **Mintshadow22: **Sabrina is a character I control, and I like drama, so I make drama happen to her a lot. Since Ayns controls Puck, I like making her characters worry… And I tossed in a lil tribute to your review, when Sabrina mentions being killed 3 and a half times ^^ I thought it was hilarious, I hope you like it too. And we ARE done killing her. In THIS story. BWAHAHA. And **very special thank you to iluvsummer95 for the wonderfully encouraging reviews during that short hiatus :3 Sorry to take so long.**

**Also in case anyone missed it, since like, chapter 17, we've been writing almost completely from scratch for this story. We scrapped a lot of the old story to write better stuff, so it's not like we're just hoarding the story and not editing ^^; Luvvies!**

**~Sky**


	36. Flight

**EDIT: Sky: Re-Added scene skips.**

**A/N:**

**Sky: Holy. Crap.**

Okay. I'm so sorry it took us this long… There's a huge list of reasons actually XD Short version: Work, wedding plans, work, work, work, catfight, work, holidays, work, fights, work, wedding plans, work… Did I mention work? We've been working almost non-stop since the last update. Promise to update much faster now that work has slowed down a tiny bit! Please don't kill us. XD

***.*.*.*.***

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter Thirty-Six: Flight_**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

Sabrina didn't open her eyes, lying peacefully on the bed with the blanket pulled up to her chin. In the two weeks since she had awoken in the Enchanted Forest, she had remained with Peter's family as a live-in half-ghost. She got along well with Wendy and Tiger, but constantly fought playfully with Peter. He liked annoying her and playing pranks on her, so she got back at him by 'haunting' him and hiding his things.

"Remember--when she wakes up, clap your hands."

Sabrina tried not to twitch. "If Tiger's hands are in my face when I open my eyes, I'm going to be angry."

Peter hesitated, then grinned sheepishly down at his son, who he held above Sabrina's face. True enough, he had instructed Tiger to keep his hands inside her face as a prank before bringing him into the room.

Tiger, who couldn't stand the thought of Sabrina being angry with him, pulling his hands back and pressed his little fists against his cheeks. "Please don't be angry, Miss Sabrina," he said cutely.

Sabrina opened one eye and smiled wryly at the sight. "Don't worry Tiger. I'll never be mad at you."

"Cradle robber," Peter rolled his eyes.

"...I will end you."

Sabrina sat up and scowled at him.

"Yay!" Tiger gave Sabrina a brilliant smile. "You're sure you won't ever ever be mad at me?"

"Promise," Sabrina said, yawning and stretching. "What's with the wake-up call, anyway?"

"We were bored," Peter said simply, grinning.

"Daddy said it would be fun, but he didn't say Miss Sabrina would be mad," Tiger said, turning his head to look at Peter.

Peter gave his son an angelic smile. "She's not mad though."

Sabrina sighed. "Really, Tiger. I'm not mad. It was fun. Yaaaay. Fun."

Tiger's smile was back in place. "Okay!" he chirped cheerfully. He clapped his hands happily. "Miss Sabrina, are we going to play today?"

"Sure," Sabrina shrugged. She could play with Tiger--after all, inanimate objects were no problem for her. "What do you want to do today?"

Tiger nibbled on his thumb. "Um...um...um... can we explore the forest?" He looked at her hopefully. "We can play adventure!"

Sabrina grinned again. "Sure, Tiger. Just remember to be careful." She glanced into the distance, before bringing her attention back to babysitting. She was positive Peter would be following them silently, just to make sure nothing happened.

***.*.*.*.***

The blond boy threw himself into a chair at the outdoor cafe with relief. "Thank god," he muttered to himself. "I thought my feet were going to fall off." He had long since discovered one part about traveling the world that severely sucked – the fact that 90% of the people who lived in the world were _not_ Everafters, and because of that he couldn't simply open his wings and fly.

And he never had gotten around to getting a driver's license back in Ferryport Landing. Sabrina had always rolled her eyes and promised to drive for him. Now he recognized the true importance in figuring it out for himself.

'_Note to self,'_ Puck thought as a waitress came over and placed a glass of water on the table in front of him. '_Talk to Henry about learning to drive. Figure out something really big to promise in order to convince him to say yes._'

The waitress reached up and slipped a pen out from where it was tucked behind her ear, and flipped open her order pad. "So what can I get for you?" she asked with a smile. Puck was relieved to see that it wasn't one of those 'check me out, aren't I hot, you stud?' looks that some waitresses – and the occasional waiter – would throw his way when he stopped for something to eat. As confident as he was in his looks and no matter how much he loved attention, sometimes there were moments when he just wanted to eat, not flirt.

Especially after his latest search had come up with a dead end. Like this time.

"I'll have a bowl of clam chowder," he said, recalling the posted menu he'd read when he'd reached the café. "And do you have any oats?"

The waitress paused in scrawling the order. "Oatmeal…?"

He shook his head, his blonde hair flipping around his face. Haircuts hadn't been all that important to him, and his hair was longer and shaggier than usual. He'd get it cut eventually, just…not right now. "Nah," he said. "Just oats. Doesn't have to be a lot of them, just a few." He threw her a grin. "K?"

"Well, it's not one of our usual requests, but I'll see what I can do," she replied, making a note on the pad. "I'll be back soon with your soup."

When she left the table, Puck took a quick glance around. There were other tables scattered on the patio, but it wasn't crowded. There was no one sitting at the surrounding tables.

There was a light nudge from the case strapped to Puck's hip, and he chuckled as he reached down to un-strap it. "Cut it out, I know," he said. "You're hungry." He set the case on the table in front of him and flipped open a window in the side. A small black head poked out of it, and there was another thud as she kicked the side of the case. "No, you can't come out yet. We're at a café. Wait until we get to a hotel or something where people can't see you. Look, calm down. I've got oats coming."

At the word 'oats', Celeste's ears pricked forward and she whickered softly to Puck. Of course, at her present size the whicker sounded a little more like a squeak. Vaguely Puck wondered if that was what a _real_ My Little Pony would sound like if it could make noise, but he didn't voice the thought. The first time he'd mentioned My Little Ponies to Celeste, she'd gotten rather indignant. He had a feeling she preferred to compare herself to Breyer.

"Yeah, you heard me right," Puck said with a nod.

Talking to Celeste had become commonplace for him, and really, the little pony had quite a bit of personality. Sure, she couldn't talk out loud, but she always had some sort of response to the things he was saying. At first when they'd started traveling, he'd been worried about how she'd adapt to her new size, but she seemed to have taken to it easily. It probably helped that she had her own private traveling compartment, didn't have to walk anywhere, and could easily eat her fill considering that a small pinch of oats were enough to sate her hunger for hours.

She gave another whicker-squeak, looking up at him with liquid brown eyes that begged for attention. He frowned slightly. "What?"

She craned her neck, her attention on something within her line of sight and near his hand.

He looked over, and sighed. "You know what, Sabrina is going to say that I'm spoiling you," he said, reaching for the sugar cup that Celeste had laid her eyes on. She'd quickly learned to identify the small white crystals, which were much different from the cubes she was used to getting – although occasionally she mixed sugar up with salt. He grinned as he remembered the one time she'd stuck her head in an open salt shaker. He'd never seen a horse back up and recoil so fast. Of course he'd burst out laughing, but the look she'd given him had actually made him feel sorry for her. Since then, she never tried to get sugar for herself. She always insisted he get it.

After retrieving a few crystals of sugar from the container and letting Celeste nibble them from his fingertip, Puck leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. The warm breeze wafted through the outdoor area of the café. Though it was already November, Florida seemed to have complete disregard for what someone would consider to be normal weather patterns. Where everyone up in New York had been bundled up in parkas and preparing for winter, there were still people walking around in shorts and tank tops further down south. Having lived up in the northern climates for the last several years, he'd been pretty amazed to discover just how _different_ the weather was in other parts of the world.

And he'd been all over the place. In the last few months he'd traveled from continent to continent in search of Sabrina. Sometimes he'd arrived in one place and had just _known_, instinctively, that she couldn't possibly be there. Other times he'd have the odd feeling that maybe, just maybe, she was somewhere nearby. That he'd find her if only he looked long enough and far enough.

Those were the moments when he'd stop and look at the bracelet around his wrist, and try. Always there was be a flicker, some sort of hint that the bracelet was trying to work, that the silk was beginning to form…but always, always it fizzled out.

Still, that one brief flicker was always just enough for him to hope that maybe, perhaps, the next time he tried would work. It wasn't necessarily logical, but whoever claimed that love was? When you were in love, you'd do whatever you had to do to be with the other person. Even if it meant spending the next several years of your life going from place to place in search of her, without the faintest idea where she might be.

Hey, what was a few dozen years? He was immortal, after all. No biggie.

He'd search for however long it took.

The arrival of his food interrupted his thoughts, and he sat up straight as the waitress set his bowl down in front of him. A small cup of dried oatmeal flakes was placed next to the bowl, and he quickly glanced at the traveling case to make sure that Celeste had pulled her head back in. She had – such a good pony.

"Thanks," Puck said with a grin to the waitress – she'd also brought him a soda, and he hadn't even asked for it. He made a mental note to leave a decent tip for her, and once she'd left the table he settled down to the important task of shoveling food into his mouth. Which, given that he'd ordered soup, was an interesting feat.

Celeste stuck her head out of the doorway again, giving Puck a look of indignation.

"What?"

She stamped her hoof on the bottom of her case and looked at the small cup next to his bowl pointedly.

Oh. Right. Oats.

"Why didn't you just say so?" Puck picked up a few of the flakes and moved them closer to Celeste. Delicately she took them between her teeth and pulled them back into her case, dropping them into her makeshift feeding trough. He repeated this to get her the rest of the flakes, and then she set to the serious business of munching in contentment.

Spoiled pony.

A flicker of emotion graced his eyes as his thoughts drifted back to yet another memory of Sabrina. They did that sometimes – the memories just came without warning as he encountered something or someone who reminded him of her. He couldn't remember exactly _when_ this particular memory had taken place – during one of the lulls before another emergency, probably.

The two of them had been hanging out in his room – not up in the tree house like they often did, but down below in the field. And of course, being in the field had prompted a certain attention-hungry horse to come over and join them.

They'd brought some food in with them, treating themselves to lunch in the form of a picnic – yes, in his room – and Celeste couldn't help but investigating the strange human food that she wasn't used to. Although Puck had strived to bring as much junk food as he could get his hands on, somehow an orange had made its way into the bunch, and Celeste had decided that she needed to try one. By taking it right out of Sabrina's hand.

And Sabrina hadn't done anything but laugh, watching as Celeste tilted her head back and bit down, her teeth squeezing the fruit until all of the juice had worked its way out. She couldn't actually break the tough skin, but she could get as much orange juice as she desired.

"_You realize you seriously spoil this horse, don't you?_" _he asked Sabrina. _

Her response had been to just laugh – and that was what he remembered most about that memory. Her laughter. It wasn't something that he heard very often, not pure laughter. He wanted to hear more of it. He wanted to hear her laugh, and for it to be true, happy laughter with none of the darkness weighing down on her. He didn't want her to worry about her friends, her family, or her life anymore. He just wanted her to be…happy.

A soft whicker from Celeste again brought him out of his thoughts, and he blinked as he realized that he'd just been sitting there daydreaming. His bowl was empty, what little bit of chowder that remained growing cold, and the café was beginning to fill up with people. "Guess that's our cue to go, girl," he said. He rose from his seat and flipped shut the small door on the case, pulling the strap over his head and shoulder that it rested comfortably on his hip. Then he tossed a few bills onto the table to cover the tip, and headed for the register and the door.

Break time was over. It was time to get back to his quest – he had a flight to catch.

Wherever she was, Sabrina was waiting.

***.*.*.*.***

"I wonder what I'm missing."

Sabrina glanced to her hand again, then looked back up at Peter. "You seem to have an opinion about everything. So… any idea why I feel this way?"

"I feel like all you do is talk about yourself," Peter sighed dramatically, shifting his sleeping son in his lap. When she scowled at him with tangible annoyance, he grinned. "Okay okay. I'm kidding. In the weeks you've been here, you've babysat and entertained my kid enough that I have to be nice. Who knows what you're missing? Your entire memory is gone."

Sabrina grumbled. "It just seems like I should know already. I'm sure all I need is a reminder and I'll be able to kick the amnesia out."

"Well, no matter what happens, you can always…" Peter paused, studying her expression. She'd drifted into her own little world briefly—almost instantly. "Sabrina?"

He blinked a few times, waving his hand into her face—literally. That seemed to snap her out of it, and she looked at him with a bewildered expression. "Huh?"

"Space case," Peter sighed. "Anyway, you'll be fine. Just relax and don't stress it."

"I guess," Sabrina murmured. "Sometimes, I feel like someone's looking for me. I wish they'd hurry up and find me."

"You're so gloomy. I'm sure someone's looking for ya, Sabrina. And don't worry—I have a feeling you're their top priority."

"Why would you say that?" Sabrina asked, glancing to him again.

"Well," Peter looked to her seriously for the first time. "You're a good kid. You're pretty, thoughtful, sweet, kinda stubborn, but very loving. You don't even know my son and you show him kindness, even when you're ticked off or annoyed. You might seem a bit shallow at times, but you have a good heart. You're sincere—I'd even say pure of heart. You look like someone who can love freely and openly, even if it takes you a while to get that comfortable. Whoever's lucky enough to have your love won't let it go that easily. That's why I say you're their top priority. Otherwise, whoever you left behind is an idiot."

Sabrina felt her cheeks flushing at his words, and she glanced to her lap. "I… don't know if anyone else has ever said anything that nice to me. I _think _I'm just a teenager. But part of me also thinks that if I _am _in love, I knew it a long time ago, and it's the real deal."

"See, when you say stuff like that, it makes me even more confident. And trust me, I'm usually always confident."

Sabrina looked up again. "Thanks, Peter. It really means a lot to me that you don't think I'm insane for feeling that way."

"Pfft. Sanity is overrated anyway. Hang in there, Sabrina," Peter gave her a charming smile.

"I… really needed to hear this. Peter, I want you to know-"

"I know," Peter held up his hand. "But please don't say it. It can never be. I love my wife."

"…I'm going to kill you now. I'm not quite sure when I'm going to stop," Sabrina growled with a twitch.

Peter gave a jovial laugh, before getting up and cradling Tiger in his arms. "You won't hurt me when I'm carrying my darling Tiger."

"You'll put him down at some point," Sabrina warned. "And you'd better make sure there aren't any weapons in range when that happens."

He smiled cheerfully and darted from the room, leaving her alone to scowl at the spot he'd once been standing in.

"Ugh," Sabrina flopped back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. "I sure hope I can get my memory back so easily… Like just seeing someone or something will make it all come back."

She closed her eyes and curled up with her single wing. It wasn't that she didn't like life with Peter and his family. Their quaint little home and happy family life made her feel accepted and comfortable. The forest outside their house set her at ease—something about the smell of pine and dirt made her more comfortable than anything else. And it helped that Peter was a great companion, Wendy was a total sweetheart, and Tiger was a loving little boy that always seemed happy. It was a perfect family picture…

Except that somewhere, she had a family that might have painted the exact same picture. Without her. And as much as she would have loved to stay content without her memories, a part of her ached. She knew in that moment that she wanted to remember no matter what. That even if horrible things had happened to her in the past, she wasn't complete without her memories. They were pieces of her life—good, bad, it didn't matter. They were _hers. _And if even if all she had in her past was tragedy, she would be a coward to hide behind ignorance.

She refused to try and fly with her single wing anymore. But it wasn't just that it wasn't practical. It was that she didn't believe she could gain flight when she was missing so much of herself... Just like her wing missed a partner, her heart was lonely, hollow, and unable to fly.

***.*.*.*.***

"Feet. Death." Puck let out a groan as he lowered himself onto a bench. Once again the hindrance of not being able to use his wings was rearing its ugly head, and his feet felt like they were about to fall off from all of the walking he'd done.

He pushed his hand through his hair and let out a sigh. He'd been in London for almost three days with no sign of Sabrina. Granted, London was a huge city. He could easily spend another three days there looking for her, and still not cover most of it.

He looked down at his wrist, at the bracelet still neatly tied into place, and ran his finger over it. He'd tried again that morning to use it - and again, there had been no success. No matter how many times the attempt failed, though, he couldn't bring himself to not try. In every place he went to, he tested the bracelet.

"End of the week," he murmured, not caring if anyone heard him and thought him nuts. He'd wait until the end of the week and search as much of London as he could before deciding on another destination.

From the corner of his eye, Peter caught sight of the young fairy relaxing on a park bench. It was crowded in the area, but not many people stopped to pay attention. Peter himself almost hadn't recognized the boy. _'Is it really?' _He grinned, then immediately put on the face of a concerned stranger. _'If he recognizes me, I'll eat my hat.'_Almost automatically, he reached up and felt his silky hair. _'Oh yeah. I don't wear that thing anymore. Well, I'll find something weird to eat if that's the case.'_Putting his hand back to his side, he approached Puck. "You don't look like you're from around here."

Puck looked up, and managed a wry grin. "That obvious?" he asked the unfamiliar man. Though he'd been born in Europe, it'd been so many centuries since he'd last been there that it really didn't count anymore. He didn't even carry an accent.

Peter grinned right back. He didn't have an accent either. "So are you staying in town or just traveling through?"

"Traveling," Puck replied. He eyed the man with a touch of suspicion - why was there something rather familiar about him? No one in Europe should have felt familiar given how long he'd been gone.

"You're not staying in one of the hotels around here, are you?" Peter made a face. "Totally overpriced. Especially for a kid like you."

"...." Puck stared at Peter for a silent moment. "Just so you know," he said finally, "I'm straight. And not interested. At all."

"Impossible. I'm gorgeous. I'm not hitting on you though," Peter shrugged it off. "I have a wife."

"And is she aware that you have a very large ego?" Puck asked, raising an eyebrow at Peter. "Anyway, to answer your question - since you say you aren't hitting on me, which I'm still not sure I believe, yeah I'm staying in a hotel. I'm making my dad pay for it, though."

"Aware and loving it, to answer _your _question," Peter said simply. "You should come meet my wife."

"Why?" Puck stared at him, unable to fathom why he should really go anywhere with this guy. He still felt familiar...and now he was also bordering on _annoying._ There was just something that aggravated Puck about him. "Who _are _you?"

"Well, suit yourself," Peter shrugged. "I'm going home to have dinner. My wife cooks delicious food." He knew for a fact that Puck had a huge appetite, and the room service couldn't have been enough.

"....How delicious?"

Peter chuckled. "Words fail me. But that's okay, have fun and enjoy your stay here, kid."

He turned and walked away.

"Wait!" Puck was on his feet in an instant, darting in front of Peter and into his path to keep him from walking off. His blond hair fell into his eyes a little. "You know...maybe lunch wouldn't hurt."

Peter raised an eyebrow. "Are they starving you or something?"

Puck scowled at him. "No, I'm saying I want to try your wife's food."

"Weird. Oh well, you may as well then," Peter shrugged. "I'll let her know you're not love-struck and following me around," he winked, as if not convinced.

Puck's scowl deepened. "Has anyone told you that you're extremely annoying?"

"On a daily basis. In fact, my newest houseguest tells me about three times daily," Peter said thoughtfully.

"He must have really good taste," Puck muttered. "Well, go on then, lead the way."

"She," Peter corrected. "And she thinks I'm hot."

Puck looked at Peter and smirked. "Yeah, well, she hasn't met me yet," he said cockily.

Peter snorted. "You're just as annoying, kid. Trust me."

Puck chuckled. "Some people call me that, yes, and I do my best not to disappoint them," he said. "But no way am I as annoying as you."

"Sure. We'll have to ask the girls for their opinion," Peter chuckled. "I hope you don't mind I drive fast."

"Pfft." Puck looked at him. "What do you take me for, a wimp?"

Peter merely chuckled in response, going to the shiny sports car in the nearby parking lot and opening the passenger door for him. "Make sure you buckle up anyway."

His response was a roll of the eyes as Puck slid into the seat. He thought about not buckling up just on general principle, but decided that that would just be plain stupid. Mischievous was fine, stupid was not. So he buckled up.

When Peter got in on the other side, he glanced over at the younger boy. "So what's the deal with you actually coming along? Didn't anyone ever tell you not to go with strangers? Or are you just confident that if I turned out to be a murderer, you could get away?"

"Pretty confident," Puck said with a smirk. After all, wings were very useful when you were dealing with someone who couldn't fly. And it wasn't like he was a slouch in self-defense thanks to Relda's training.

"Just between you and me," Peter said, starting up the car. "I think I could beat you, Puck."

He accelerated immediately, grinning.

Puck jumped, almost forgetting that he was buckled into the seat. He stared at Peter. "How the hell do you know my name?" he demanded.

Peter's only response was to laugh and drive over the speed limit for his secluded home.

_Crap._ That was the only word that was running through Puck's head as the car sped along - and he noticed they seemed to be getting further and further from civilization. He gripped the door handle to the car.

"Oh relax," Peter said after a while, slowing the car. "Of the long list of people who actually want to kill you, I'm not on it."

"Then you better start explaining exactly who you are," Puck replied. "Right now."

"It's me, Puck. Peter!" He turned and gave the biggest "Gotcha!" look he could manage, hoping that alone would make Puck realize just exactly who he was.

Puck stared at him.

"...Let me out of the car. Right now." He grasped the door handle, but found it locked of course. "Oh, god, I'm stuck in a car with _Peter Pan!_"

"If you want, I'll stop the car and let you out," Peter offered, smirking the entire time as he looked back to the road. "But I'm confident you want to come see my house."

"Why? You want to show off your wife to me? Are you really even married? What woman would put up with you?" Puck fired off the questions in rapid succession. "You do really I never wanted to see you again in my entire life? And what the hell are you doing being an adult?"

"Yes, yes, Wendy, right back at ya, hard to get married when you're stuck as a kid. What about you? You look older," Peter challenged.

Puck scowled. "There were benefits to being older. Jeez, you _really_ got married? Next you're going to tell me you have a friggin kid."

"His name's Tiger," Peter said with a wide grin. "And he's adorable. Gets it from me."

"Dear lord," came the muttered reply. "You bred. One of you is bad enough." Puck glared at Peter. "You're the reason nobody knows me, you know. They see me, they see my wings, they think I'm _you_."

"Which is funny, because I was never a fan of those girly pink wings," Peter sighed in a wistful voice.

"They are not girly!" Puck exclaimed. "They're just...pink. That's all. Not my fault. I was born that way."

"Green wings are cooler," Peter continued.

Puck scowled, opening his mouth to retort.

Then he snapped his mouth shut and frowned. "Green wings?"

"Puck, do you really think I'd go out of my way to bring you to my house if I didn't have a good reason?" Peter chuckled.

"I haven't discounted the idea that you might be doing it just to annoy me," Puck replied, but there was less antagonism in his tone now.

Peter snorted. "World doesn't revolve around you, Pucky boy. Although you sound a lot like my houseguest. She thinks I do things just to be annoying too."

"Who is this houseguest that you keep randomly mentioning?" Puck demanded. He half-expected to receive no answer.

"Who knows? She has amnesia," Peter chuckled.

"Amnesia," Puck repeated. He stared at Peter. "She wouldn't happen to be connected to those green wings you mentioned, would she?"

"Only one wing," Peter said. "Sorry. I'll take you back to your hotel now," he grinned, having no intention of turning the car around

"Don't you dare!" Puck's eyes had gone wide, and he looked for a moment like if Peter tried to turn the car around, he was going to jump into his lap and wrestle the wheel away from him.

"My god, you're gullible!" Peter laughed. "What's got you all high strung? Extra caffeine in your tea this morning?"

"I hate tea," Puck replied promptly. "I want to see your houseguest."

"Maybe I should say no? Besides, how do I know you even know her?" Peter teased.

"Don't be coy, you wouldn't have brought me all this way if you didn't think I knew her," Puck retorted.

"Just between us guys, I think this Sabrina person has a thing for me. Don't be disappointed if you totally get dumped," Peter said, confirming Puck's guess and smirking.

Puck's eyes slowly went wide at the confirmation.

Then they narrowed. "You're married. Don't even think about it. She's _mine!_"

"I've told her this, too! She just doesn't listen," Peter sighed dramatically. "I can't help it if they all love me."

"Get over yourself," Puck advised him. "You'll be much happier in the end. Is she all right?"

"Would you consider intangible to be all right, or not right?" Peter asked.

"Intangible?" Puck repeated, almost dumbly.

"We've told our son she's haunting us. Like Casper. Casper the friendly ghost. 'Cept she can still touch objects, just not people. My son likes to jump through her for entertainment. She likes to mess with my stuff when she finds me annoying... Hid my cereal yesterday," Peter replied with a scowl. "She's too smart for her own good."

"My girlfriend is...a ghost?" Puck looked like he was having difficulty understanding this concept.

"Ish?" Peter shrugged. "Something like that. I contemplated not telling you, so if you tried to have a teary-hugging reunion, you'd run into a wall or hit the floor... But that might make my wife mad."

"Good, Wendy's still sane," Puck replied. He looked out the window. "Where are we? How long? Does she really have amnesia _again?_"

"So she HAS had it more than once? I made a bet with myself. Anyway yep. Amnesia. She knows her name though," Peter said. "And she knew my fairytale. Suck on that, fairyboy."

Puck made a rather discrete obscene gesture in Peter's direction. "She'll know me," he said confidently. "When she sees me, she'll know me. She might not remember my name right away, or our history, but she'll know me no matter what."

"You seem pretty confident," Peter commented. "Are you so sure? Really?"

Puck nodded slightly, his eyes fixed on the road as they drove. "Yeah," he said, "I am. There'll be a part of her that knows me."

"It's funny you used that phrase. She'll know you no matter what."

Puck glanced at him. "Why is that funny?"

"Any time she hears or uses those words, she gets a far off look in her eyes and gets distracted. I usually see how close I can get my face or an animal before she notices."

"Heh." Puck smiled slightly. "We made a promise a long time ago. We've never broken it."

"Honestly if I didn't think you had a shot, I wouldn't have brought you here," Peter said, pulling into the driveway. The house was surrounded by grassy fields and a forest, with only one path in to drive on.

Puck pushed open the door the moment that the car had stopped and it was unlocked. He got out, staring up at the house. "This is where you live?"

"Nope, this is Tinkerbell's house. We just crash here while she's in Vegas," Peter retorted sarcastically.

"For all I know, Pan, you could be serious." Puck smirked at him. "Where is she?"

"Oh, the name's Darling now," Peter smirked right back. "And probably inside, pining over me."

He picked up the grocery bag he'd put in the trunk a while back, then headed for the front door and opened it.

"More like she's probably figuring out how to break your face if you screw with her," Puck commented as he followed behind Peter.

Peter rolled his eyes, heading to the living room and pausing in the doorway. Sabrina had her back to them, perplexed and watching while Tiger jumped back and forth through her, couch to couch. Each time, he would shout "Wheee! Catch me!" or something similar, knowing she couldn't.

"...Is he really enjoying this?" Sabrina asked, watching him land on the next cushion.

"Wheee!" Tiger cried again, bouncing onto the cushion. He promptly spun himself around and crouched down like a baby tiger - quite fitting - and leapt through her again. "More! More!"

Puck walked up behind Peter and stopped short. His eyes weren't drawn to the exuberant little boy playing on the cushions, but rather to the girl that the boy was jumping through.

His breath caught in his throat, and he found that he couldn't speak. It didn't matter that she was somewhat see through, he recognized her hair and voice immediately.

"Tiger, really..." Sabrina paused. She couldn't explain the feeling that shot through her, or really what that feeling was. But it felt... safe. It felt like everything was going to be okay, and she had nothing to worry about anymore.

Instinctively, she slowly turned to look behind her, breath catching a little at the sight of the blonde boy beside Peter. Blue eyes widened a little, single wing fluttering a bit.

Tiger landed on the next cushion and stopped bouncing when he realized that Sabrina wasn't looking at him anymore. Puck stared at her. He didn't seem able to blink, unable to take his eyes off of her. Unable to move. It took a lot of willpower for him to will himself to speak.

"Sa...brina?" he whispered.

"..." Sabrina touched her bracelet under the green hoodie she wore. "...You're..." a look of confusion crossed her features.

Puck swallowed hard, and took a step forward - and all at once felt a heaviness inside of his pants pocket. He paused and looked down at his hip, reaching in to retrieve the small object that he'd kept there, safe and secure, throughout all of his travels.

He pulled out Sabrina's ring, and he could feel the weight of it in his hand.

Sabrina's eyes were drawn to it immediately, her feet moving to take her towards him. "What..." She didn't know what else to say. But somehow, this boy knew her--and she felt like she knew him.

"It really is you," Puck said, his throat tight as he looked at her. There was a compulsion deep within him, pushing at him to give the ring back to its proper owner.

He took a deep breath. "Hold out your hand," he said softly.

She didn't even think about which hand he meant. Her left hand came up, palm facing downward. "...Puck?" she whispered, mind supplying the name she had been struggling to remember.

"Yes," Puck replied, meeting her eyes. "It's me, Sabrina." Though he didn't think she'd know yet what he meant by 'me', he lifted up the ring and gently slipped it onto her left hand. Right in the spot where it belonged.

As the ring settled onto her finger, Sabrina felt a surge of magic that drew a gasp from her, rocking her body. She became solid, second wing flaring free behind her to join the first while the green hoodie melted, clothes changing into the last ones she'd worn before vanishing. It was so jarring that she could only stand there, gaping at Puck when it finished, her solid hand hovering over his. It was that moment she had hoped and longed for. The moment where one simple thing could jolt her memory back and remind her who she really was. At the ring settling so perfectly on her finger, Puck's eyes, and the words echoing in her mind of the promise they'd made… It was perfect.

Puck wrapped his hand around hers, his grip tight as he stared into her eyes.

Then he tugged her forward, pulling her into his arms and clasping them around her so that she was pressed tightly against his chest.

Tiger stood on his cushion and stared at Sabrina and Puck with wide eyes. Then he looked at Peter in confusion.

Sabrina threw her arms around Puck in the same moment, gasping and holding onto him tightly. "Puck! It-you-we-the-....!" her words came out in a garbled mess of emotion, until one thing pushed to the front of her mind.

She yanked away from Puck, staring at Peter. "You knew! You knew who I was this whole time! You--You incredible _ass!" _She shrieked.

Peter grinned wickedly. "I do have an incredible ass," he agreed, turning his head and craning over his shoulder to appreciate the aforementioned area.

"And you have an incredible _ego_, too," came Wendy's voice as she walked into the room and gave Peter a playful swat on the shoulder.

"Mine's better," Puck said immediately, looking at Sabrina for confirmation. His hands went to rest on her hips, not liking have her out of reach.

Sabrina's cheeks turned red, and she gave an exasperated huff, before turning back to Puck and hugging him tightly. "Holy crap," she whispered. That about summed up how she felt.

"I can't believe it's really you," Puck murmured, his focus going onto her now. "I've searched all over the place... and you're here."

"Searched?" Sabrina whispered. "But I've only been here like a month, right?"

"Yeah, but you were sleeping in a forest when we found you. Who knows how long you were there?" Peter pointed out, kissing Wendy briefly and heading to the couch to collect Tiger.

Tiger lifted up his arms for 'up', wanting a hug from his daddy.

"You've been gone for four months," Puck said quietly, pressing his lips against her temple.

Sabrina closed her eyes tightly. "Four _months?" _she whispered in distress. "Puck, what happened to me? The book--and Mirror--what happened?"

Puck took a deep breath. "You saved everyone," he said seriously. "Kerdy's alive, and the barrier's changed. Ferryport Landing's back to the way it was. Mirror's...who knows where he is, but he won't be a problem anymore."

Sabrina swallowed. Kerdy... His name reminded her that she had a sister, and a brother, and a family that was probably worried sick. "Puck, how is my family doing?"

"Missing you," Puck replied, "but hanging in there. They know I've been looking for you. They moved back to New York - Long Island. So did Kerdy, actually, so that he could be near Daphne."

"What about Granny? And Mr. Canis, and Red?" Sabrina pulled back just enough to look up at him.

"The old man and Red are off on a tour of all the places they never got to see," Puck replied. "Your grandmother stuck around Ferryport Landing - I send her postcards. So does Celeste."

"Ce...leste sends her postcards?" she echoed.

"Well, okay, I write them and she just puts her hoof print on them," Puck confessed.

He let go of Sabrina with one hand and reached down to the small case he wore. He held it up, and flicked open a small window/door in the side.

Celeste's head poked out, and she gave an excited whinny at the sight of Sabrina.

"What the crap?" Sabrina yelped, jumping at the sight of her bite-sized pony.

Celeste's ears pricked forward, and she tilted her head slightly.

"My dear mother," Puck said, "shrank her. Easiest way to bring her along."

"Holy..." Sabrina reached into the carrier and picked Celeste up. "Poor girl... She's been alone with _you _this whole time?" Her words were teasing, but her tone was soft and emotional.

Celeste immediately stretched her neck so that she could nuzzle Sabrina's cheek, her tail flicking back and floor happily.

"I took care of her," Puck said. "I gave her oats."

"I know you took care of her," Sabrina murmured, looking up at him again. She felt tears sting her eyes, and she quickly turned her face away to try and hide it.

Puck grinned, suspecting why she had turned away, and not calling attention to it. He leaned down and kissed her cheek gently. "I'm so glad I found you," he murmured in a moment of tenderness.

Then he scowled a little. "But of all the places to end up - Peter Pan's house?"

Sabrina scowled at him, cheeks still burning. "Oh, like it was intentional! Aside from thinking I wanted to jump him, he's been very nice about my living here!" A comical look crossed Sabrina's face, and she couldn't help but start laughing tearfully.

Puck's eyes widened as she started to laugh. "Sabrina?" he asked. "You okay?" He put his hands on her shoulders. "Sabrina...?"

"No wonder I _did _kinda find his attitude appealing... You're both so freaking full of yourselves!"

Sabrina moved to hug him again, being careful of Celeste.

"Told you she wanted me," Peter chirped.

This time when Sabrina hugged him, Puck cupped her cheek and lowered his head to kiss her. He hadn't done it yet, and he _needed_ to.

Tiger's mouth opened in a small o. "Daddy, look," he said. "They're doing what you and Mommy do before you want to give me a brother or sister!"

Wendy immediately twitched, staring at her son.

"That's exactly right, Tiger," Peter said, soothing Wendy with a kiss to her cheek while he cuddled his son. "But remember what daddy told you about having to love someone before you did that kind of thing? Sabrina loves that little fairy boy."

Sabrina ignored them, kissing Puck back and trying to hold back her tears.

Wendy's expression softened again, her eyes gentle when she heard Peter's words.

Tiger looked at Sabrina and Puck again for a moment. Then he looked back at his father. "Miss Sabrina isn't going to wait for me to get bigger is she?" he asked with the innocence of a child.

"Why Tiger darling," Peter said. "Do you have a crush on Miss Sabrina?"

Tiger looked a little shy. "Maaaaaybe."

"Aw," Peter nuzzled him. "Sorry kiddo. She's already in love."

"Don't worry, Tiger," Wendy said. "When you get older, you'll find someone for you, too."

Tiger snuggled against Peter and smiled. "Okay, Mommy."

"You two gonna break it up any time soon?" Peter asked, watching Puck and Sabrina kiss.

Sabrina broke the kiss. "Give me a break, this is my tearful reunion," she snapped, sounding emotional still.

Puck looked at Peter and smirked. "You could always go into a different room," he said, his arm around Sabrina's waist.

"This is my house," Peter said indignantly. "And my son is watching."

"Time for that later," Sabrina mumbled. "God, Puck... I remember everything."

He looked at her, and his expression sobered. "Are you all right?" he asked. He knew very well what 'everything' entailed. All of the good...and all of the bad.

Sabrina looked up at Puck again, moving Celeste to her chest so she could tuck her there safely. "I'll be okay. It's just really disorienting..."

She took a deep breath. "I'm glad I remember."

"Really?" Puck touched her cheek, brushing a few strands out of her face. "Even remembering the bad?"

"Dork," she whispered, looking up at him. "It's not like I'd trade all the memories just to avoid the crappy ones. Besides, you're stuck with me no matter what. Get used to it."

Puck grinned. "Well, it works both ways, so I don't mind," he replied. He kissed her forehead lightly. "No matter what."

"Sit down and let's have lunch," Peter said, breaking through Sabrina's swooning. "Then we'll discuss how you two are getting home. Three, sorry," he grinned at Celeste.

Celeste gave him an indignant look that clearly said she expected oats.

"Oh, that's right - lunch _is_ ready," Wendy said, remembering that that was what she had come into the room to say in the first place. She smiled at Sabrina and Puck.

"Wendy, thank you so much for letting me stay here," Sabrina said in a rushed breath. "I would have gone crazy...er if I hadn't had any help."

Wendy looked at Sabrina gently, and smiled. "There's no need to thank us," she said. "It was my pleasure, Sabrina - you've been delightful to have with us."

"Hey Sabrina--hand your horse back to Puck," Peter said.

Confused, Sabrina obliged without hesitation. It was a good thing, too, because a moment later, Peter tossed Tiger at her.

"ACK!" Sabrina caught the little boy and stumbled, wings fluttering behind her wildly.

Tiger threw his arms around Sabrina's arms and immediately snuggled at her.

Then his eyes widened and he let out an amazed gasp. "Miss Sabrina, I don't go through you!"

"...Too cute," Sabrina sighed, smiling down at him. "Nah. I wasn't always so... go-through-able, Tiger."

Tiger beamed up at her, and then leaned up to kiss her cheek. "Yay!" he said. "I can do that now, Miss Sabrina. I can cuddle and kiss!"

Sabrina smiled again, feeling a light pang in her chest. How was Cory doing? Was he just as adorable and affectionate? Did he remember or miss her?

Puck smiled at Sabrina. "Cory'll be thrilled to see you," he said. "Every time I stop by he asks when you'll be home."

"Really?" Sabrina looked at him, eyes filled with emotion. "You stop by to check on them?"

Puck nodded. "Whenever I'm in the area," he said. "And I call and send them postcards, too."

"How's Daphne doing? And mom and dad?" Sabrina hugged Tiger a bit tighter.

"They're doing all right, for the most part," Puck replied. "They've settled into Long Island and the New York scene. But they definitely miss you. Daphne'd be worse off if Kerdy hadn't moved to New York, too."

Peter ushered the group into the kitchen, and Sabrina didn't put up any resistance.

"How'd Kerdy manage to move to New York from Ferryport Landing?" Sabrina asked in confusion.

"His older brother got an apartment," Puck said, "and he moved in with him."

"Forse?" Sabrina guessed. "Did his parents stay in Ferryport Landing?"

Puck nodded. "Yeah, they did," he said. "And his other brothers, the twins are off on a world tour of their own."

"I bet the Charmings ditched too," Sabrina murmured. "I'm glad the barrier worked the way it's supposed to."

"A lot of Everafters ditched...and yeah, the ones who had ill intentions opted to lose their Everafter status," Puck said. "That barrier was a stroke of genius."

"Thanks," Sabrina grinned at him and set Tiger down in his high chair. "I was stressed out, so I'm glad I managed to get my thoughts together at the end there."

"It's the talk of the Everafter community," Wendy said, looking at her with a smile. "Setting it up that way really was a wonderful solution."

"Peter, if you knew who I was, why didn't you tell my family?" Sabrina murmured. "They were probably really really worried."

"Well, for one thing I didn't know how to get in touch with them," Peter pointed out. "For another thing, why should I help Puck out, when you both know he had to be the one to find you?"

Sabrina shut her mouth. Puck looked at Peter, and scowled. "You know," he said, "I really hate the fact that now I have to be grateful to you for helping her."

"Isn't it awesome? You can start by building a shrine to me back at your place in your room. Of course I expect you to concede the title of 'coolest flying boy' and give it to me..." Peter trailed off thoughtfully.

"Not on your _life_," Puck replied. "Just because you've had several movies and books done up about you doesn't mean you're cooler."

"Worth a shot," Peter said, chuckling. "Anyway I was thinking you should teach her to fly before you take her home."

"I can fly," Sabrina said defensively.

Puck looked at her in amusement. "You can?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"...Shut up," Sabrina muttered, looking to the table. Her wings fluttered just as defensively.

Puck reached over and grasped her hand. "We'll do some practice runs together," he said with a grin.

She puffed her cheeks at him, then sighed and took his hand. "Okay. But if you drop me, I'm going to kill you. And that would suck... After all, we just found each other again."

Puck nodded, and then tugged her closer so that he could surprise her with a quick kiss. "Don't worry," he said. "I won't drop you."

Sabrina found herself speechless at the kiss, emotion flooding her again. It wasn't like she'd missed these moments. She hadn't been able to remember them. But now that she could remember it, the time she'd spent without it seemed almost agonizing.

She looked back to the table. "We can always figure it out in New York. I want to see my family."

"Well, it shouldn't be hard to get plane tickets back," Puck replied. "I just have to call my dad and have him wire us some money."

"You're on speaking terms with your dad again?" Sabrina asked in surprise.

"Enough so that he was willing to loan me money so that I could look for you," he said.

"This means he approves of our relationship?" Sabrina murmured, reaching out to pet Celeste. She had been placed on the table.

Puck paused, and then nodded with a grin. "Yeah," he said. "Honestly, he's got no reason to complain. You succeeded in getting me to do something he never could - grow up."

"Slowpoke," Peter sang, wrapping an arm around Wendy.

Wendy leaned over and kissed Peter's cheek. "Now, dear," she murmured, "it's not Puck's fault that I was born several decades before Sabrina and he had to wait longer than you."

"True, I suppose," Peter relented. "Let's just have a good lunch, and get the lovebirds on a plane back to America."

"...Where are we?" Sabrina asked, looking up.

"England. Where did you think?" Peter asked cheerfully.

Sabrina stared blankly.

Puck stared at Peter. "You mean that she's been here a month and you never even told her where you lived?" he asked.

Tiger looked confused. "Daddy, Mommy?" he asked. "We live at home, right? That's where we live!"

"Yep! We live at home," Peter chirped. "That's all I said to her."

"Jeez!" Sabrina paled. "England? I don't think I have a passport. How am I going to get home!"

Wendy bit her lip. "I hadn't thought of that..."

"I'll call home and see if we can come up with something," Puck said. "I wouldn't be surprised if some Everafters work at the airport."

"You could just fly to the nearest American airport," Peter teased. "Or I could charm the ladies working here into letting you go without a passport."

"I'd say we could fly, except that even we can't fly across an entire ocean without needing a break," Puck said.

"Not to mention how much it would suck to have to try and fly that distance," Sabrina murmured with a shudder.

Puck nodded. "I think the best bet is to figure out a way to get Sabrina onto a plane without worrying about a passport, then," he said, looking at Peter and Wendy.

"Tell me how awesome I am, and I'll consider it," Peter chuckled.

Puck rolled his eyes. "Really?" he asked. "That's really all it'll take? Me telling you you're awesome?"

"It has to be believable," Peter pointed out.

Puck stared at him, and from the look on his face it appeared that he had a bad taste in his mouth.

Then he took a deep breath, and in the most sincere tone that he could manage to pull together, said, "Peter, I think you're unbelievably awesome."

"Pfft. Told you I could get him to do it," Peter chuckled, tousling Tiger's hair. "What a weird kid."

Tiger giggled. "He's right, Daddy, you're the awesomest."

Puck twitched at being called weird. "So what exactly are you going to do?" he asked.

"I have friends who work at the airlines," Peter said. "As long as you have the money, it won't be a problem."

"...And I've had to live with him for a month, Puck. Just remember that," Sabrina muttered.

"I have nothing but complete and utter sympathy for you," Puck muttered back to Sabrina.

"Finish eating and go have some fun, reunite, keep it clean," Peter told them. "I'll go talk to my friends. Wendy, darling, will you watch our darling son?"

Sabrina rolled her eyes, leaning closer to Puck. "He has way too much fun making puns out of his last name."

Wendy shook her head at the puns, but she was smiling. "Yes, dear," she said, leaning in to give him a kiss.

Puck leaned in as well. "Have I mentioned that I'm glad you have a normal last name?" he murmured.

Sabrina's eyes darted to her ring briefly, and her cheeks flooded with color again. "..."

Puck grinned at her, and then stood up. "Why don't you show me around this place?" he asked her. "Since you've been here for a month."

"Sure," Sabrina murmured, reaching for his hand giving it a tight squeeze. "Peter, can you find some oats for Celeste?"

"Taken care of," Peter said, scooping the mini-horse up with flourish that probably scared the crap out of it.

Celeste's entire body went rigid, her legs splayed slightly and her eyes wide. She looked up at Peter with an obvious 'why did you do that to me?' look on her face.

"Whoops. Let's get this little lady some oats," Peter laughed nervously. He didn't want to intentionally traumatize a mini-horse, after all.

When Celeste was sure that Peter wasn't going to freak her out again, she relaxed and lowered her muzzle to his hand, snuffling it.

"By the way, I might have unintentionally spoiled her with the number of oats I was giving her," Puck admitted to Sabrina.

"That's fine," Sabrina finished the lunch she had been nibbling on. "Celeste deserves to be spoiled a bit."

Puck gave her hand another squeeze, and then lightly ran his thumb over her knuckles in a familiar gesture.

Since Wendy was busy making sure that Tiger actually ate his lunch and didn't hide it, and wasn't paying attention to them, Puck lowered his voice. "She's not the only one," he murmured in response.

Sabrina turned to look up at Puck, expression soft at his words and the gesture that always made her feel happy and safe. "Puck..." She leaned in close and brushed her lips to his, too choked up to speak.

Puck closed his eyes and gently returned the kiss. He could still hardly believe it - she was there, with him. He'd finally found her.

And silently he made a vow that he was never letting her go again.

By the time the kiss broke, Sabrina was out of breath, eyes shining with unshed tears. It wasn't until she heard Peter laugh at something from the kitchen that she realized they were alone. Had they really gotten so caught up in each other that they'd kissed through Tiger's lunch and Wendy taking him from the room?

She turned to look back at Puck sheepishly.

Puck grinned at her, his eyes shining. He tugged on her hand, drawing her a little closer. "So where to?" he asked. "Outside? Or stay inside?"

"Outside," Sabrina murmured. "I want to see if my wings work. I'm a fairy now, right? Your future self split his magic and took my addiction? I _think _that's what I remember. I didn't get all that info at the same time."

Puck nodded. "Yeah," he said. "That's what happened." He shook his head and grinned. "Of course, we had to find out the hard way, he couldn't just tell us."

"Yeah well, you love being infuriating," Sabrina joked, smiling again.

"Hey, what can I say?" he asked with a wide grin. "It's a living."

Once they got outside, Sabrina stretched. "Things are making so much more sense now," she sighed, shivering a little. "Is it... November now?"

Puck nodded. "Yeah," he said. He took a deep breath, breathing in the fresh air, and then wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "You're probably feeling a little disoriented."

"You have no idea," Sabrina murmured. "I missed chunks of my life. I guess it doesn't mean much since I'm not aging--or am I? either way... still disorienting."

"This is it," Puck said. "I officially declare this the end of the craziness. I refuse to let you out of my sight."

"Promise?" Sabrina looked at the ground. "I know it's a selfish thing for me to ask you to promise, but so much happened, and I just want to be done with the drama. I want us to just... I don't know, enjoy it from now on?"

"How is that selfish?" Puck asked, turning towards her. "You've been through enough drama for a dozen different people, Sabrina. And I'm going to make sure it doesn't happen anymore."

"Yeah but it's not like you had control over most of it," Sabrina joked softly, looking back up at him. "Not like I should blame you if you make impossible promises."

"Feh, impossible? This is_ me _we're talking about. If anyone can do the impossible, I can." He flashed her a cocky, self-assured grin.

Sabrina brought her hand up to touch his cheek, fingers brushing gently. "I missed this grin. Even when I didn't remember anything, I knew I was missing you."

He turned his head slightly and brushed his lips against her fingertips. "I gotta admit, I wasn't grinning like this much while you were gone."

"You really missed me?" Sabrina asked in a soft voice, breath catching as she watched his lips touch her fingers.

"Of course I did," Puck murmured. "I love you, Sabrina. Without you around, I just don't feel like me."

"You got sweeter," she murmured back, leaning in to kiss him again. Her hand slid into his hair, tangling there.

Puck grinned, and sealed his mouth over hers in a firm kiss intended to leave her breathless. He'd missed this - he'd missed her, holding her, kissing her, being with her, just her.

"We can't just make out the whole time," Sabrina whispered against his lips, eyes closed and wings relaxed behind her. "We can do this on the plane."

"True," Puck murmured, "but sometimes it's so hard to resist." However, he did force himself to, and he pulled back. "Ready to test those wings?"

"You know I was bluffing and have no idea how to use them," Sabrina said, gulping a bit. "I really don't want to break anything. Namely me."

"Eh, don't worry about it," Puck said. "We'll take it one step at a time. It'll be like learning to ride a bike."

"I almost broke an arm learning to ride a bike," Sabrina griped. Then she sighed. "But I trust you, so help me out."

He nodded. "Okay, first thing you want to do is figure out how to balance yourself," he said. "Try extending your wings fully and see how that feels."

"Alright--wow those feel weird--let's do this."

About half an hour later, Sabrina was pulling back from another kiss, looking frustrated and adorable. "New rule. We don't try to teach me to fly until we're done reuniting." After one attempt had made her stumble, he'd caught her and they'd resumed making up for lost time. The short story was, she hadn't tried to use her wings at all once they'd started kissing.

Puck slid his hand down her back, stroking lightly along the base of one of her wings. "We do have a lot of lost time to make up for," he murmured mischievously.

Sabrina gasped, entire body tensing lightly at the sudden touch to the new spot on her back. It wasn't exactly new, but since growing the wings, no one had touched the base. She had about three seconds to remember how she used that spot against Puck sometimes before her posture melted to jelly and she cuddled him. "Y-yeah..."

He kissed the top of her head, then her temple, then lowered his head to nuzzle her ear. "Let's save the flying lessons for when we get back home," he murmured. "I'm much more interested in the reunion right now."

Sabrina looked at him and smiled, closing her eyes in elation. Flying lessons could wait. She was already soaring.

***.*.*.*.***

**A/N:**

**Sky: Sorry it's a bit short ; ; **But we loved it. Was happy and cute and wonderful, and it's all gonna be fluffyfull from here! (Yes fluffyfull is not a word. Yet. Bwaha.)

Thank you so much everyone, keeping it short here! If you have questions, feel free to ask, I can answer in replies to reviews!

**Thanks to the reviewers since last chapter!: SeekDreamsAndFindHope, CGreene, mindreadingweirdo, Curlscat, Squid Lips & Chocolate Ants, Dragonfly7312, PeaceChick13, Lara D, flyingdolphinpuppies, Viva-Musica**(We haven't forgotten your one-shot, I promise!), **iluvsummer95, awesomeness14, Harmony352, msjezzi-bella, Lumiere Nordiques, ohnoDK, Lilyflower-314, mucho-gravy-o, AHHHngela Alice likes PIE, Blue-Eyed-Lily, chemicalsilver, Elena Forest, Laterose, Lyla Domae, MadHattressXX, iD Sisters Grimm iD, pottergrl101, KATYy, Tanglenight, mary alice brandon, RainbowofSmiles16, gothicgal000, Cookie-Dough-Always, mrf18, Aisha, brakeyrlilhartn2, **and **Amy!**

Fun facts with no #s:

There are Breyer VS My Little Pony pics on deviantart. LOL AYNS.

I have too much fun playing Peter Pan.

**Flight is the name of one of my favorite songs from Xenogears.**

Ayns is asleep.

**We will be writing out a wedding and reception for this story, as well as an epilogue :3**

Thanks again guys, sorry it took so long and thanks for sticking with us! Less delays, more chappies, and lots of love!


	37. A Christmas Surprise

**EDIT: Sky: Re-Added scene skips.**

**A/N:**

**Sky:** …

DON'T KILL US!

Okay right after we posted the last chapter, and I had put in the A/N about us not taking so long anymore… Ayns went out of town lol. I had forgotten she was going to a concert, and then I had internet problems again, and we pretty much haven't had a single chance to write the story until now. I'm so sorry you guys XD I'm not making any more promises, because I bet if I do, my house would blow up and we'd end up missing our deadline.

**Few things to address: **Most replies to reviews will be at the bottom, but to the person who asked us not to bold or italic Sabrina's diary entries… Sorry, not happening XD We never put A/Ns in the middle of the story, if it helps, but a diary entry that is told from first person POV will always be in bold, and flashbacks/thoughts will always be in italics. That's just how we roll.

Aaaand we're closing in on the ending here, so please bear with us if it takes us a bit on the chapters ; ; Holidays have us busy and work really sucks.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS/HOLIDAY OF CHOICE! We got this up in time for Christmas ^^ Phew!

**_EDIT: I AM SO FREAKING MAD AT THE DOCUMENT MANAGER. It DID mess up one of Sabrina's journal entry paragraphs. When it said "and Puck found laughed aloud as Puck" blah blah, it took out "Puck found me" and then inserted part of the story dialogue, which said "Sabrina laughed aloud as Puck" etc. I fixed it now, thank you Viva and Curlscat for noticing it. I hate when the document manager does that, because I had to go back to the original file to find out how the chronological order was supposed to go. GRRRRRRRRR._**

Ahem. Anyway. Happy New Years too.

***.*.*.*.***

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter Thirty-Seven: A Christmas Surprise_**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

"Just stay put for a few minutes while I write then, yeesh," Sabrina rolled her eyes, then smiled at the pout on Puck's face. "It won't kill you to stop kissing me for two minutes." He had practically kissed her non-stop on the walk up to her temporary room, and it had caused them to trip twice. They'd been in England for almost a full day while Peter took care of their tickets to go home, and there wasn't much to do while Tiger was napping other than pretend to do a flying lesson and end up kissing on the ground or in the air.

"How do you know it won't? It-"

"Puck," Sabrina interrupted, giving him a pointed look.

"Fine, fine. If I must," Puck sighed, making a show of his displeasure and exhaling loudly while sitting down on the bed and sulking.

She grinned and sat down beside the bed, putting her journal on the desk so she could write a quick entry before her fairy-boy lost his last shred of patience and yanked her off the chair and back into his arms.

***.*.*.*.***

**Dear Journal. Or Diary. Or whatever this is supposed to be.**

**I'm not sure why I'm writing about this, but well, Puck had my journal with him. I could write all the mushy reasons I think he carried it around, but he'll probably read over my shoulder and get indignant. And now's not a good time to be lengthy anyway. I just want to get my thoughts out before I get home and overwhelmed again. Oh, and not to mention, he seemed really happy that he found me before Christmas. Not sure why, but it's still sweet, and I don't need to make him grumpy when he's in such a good mood. Moving on!**

**So, since the last time I wrote, I've gotten amnesia twice and saved Ferryport Landing from the Master. Mirror. Yeah. Long story and I don't wanna talk about it. These past few months, I've been hanging out in England apparently, partially intangible. I was being housed by Peter Pan, now Darling, and his family. Peter may or may not have known exactly who I was, but he had a good point about my needing to be found by Puck.**

**And boy did Puck find me. Yeah, I still don't know how to fly. Every time we tried to give me a lesson, we just ended up making out a lot. Not that I'm complaining. At all. Heh.**

**So Puck and I are going to be heading back to New York soon. You don't even want to know how long we'll be on a plane. I don't even want to know anymore. But I guess it makes sense since we're in friggin England. I should kill Peter for not telling me that, but then Tiger would be sad.**

**Anyway. As far as I know, I'm a full-fledged Everafter now. Crazy, huh? Puck at least taught me how to keep my wings inside without getting uncomfortable, and how to let them back out. You'd think it'd be easy, but it actually takes a lot of concentration the first few dozen times.**

**I know I'm supposed to write and chronicle my adventures and all that, but what do I really need to write about? How surreal everything feels? How it almost feels like the same me who once had the capabilities to become the Heartless was an entirely different person? Or what about the me that used to distrust everyone immediately, and needed Puck by my side when I lost my senses?**

**It feels like those things happened over ten years ago, even though it was all within the last four or so years. Sometimes I think I was meant to be an Everafter. I feel like time has been standing still for me, even while I'm aging. Now though, it really is standing still. I'm a fairy like Puck.**

**See, Future Puck split his magic with me back before I got my first dose of amnesia, but no one knew until… well, until I got amnesia. Apparently Titania figured it out, but since I had amnesia, no one could really tell me.**

**And the minute my amnesia wore off? Well, I confronted Mirror because I realized I'd been wearing blinders before. Once I confronted him, he forced me to absorb a crapload (and yes Granny, I am aware that is not a valid measurement!) of magic that nearly destroyed Ferryport Landing. Kerdy sacrificed himself by drinking a lesser crapload of magical potions to stop me from absorbing it and getting power on a Heartless-esque scale. With me in control of the magic, I managed to channel it for good uses, including bringing Kerdy back to life.**

**Apparently, he kept the angel wings he got when he was sacrificing himself. Poetic? Fanservice for my sister? Who knows.**

**So from there, I guess my conditions to the Book of Everafter required I spend three months in a non-tangible coma, and then wake up with amnesia and only one wing. I have no idea honestly why I was intangible, or why my other wing only came back when Puck put my ring back on my finger. I'll let someone else figure it out. As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't matter. I have all my memories, the Scarlet Hand is over with, the Ferryport Landing barrier's been tweaked to my liking, and Puck found me. **

**We're probably not sleeping before the flight. After I play with Celeste a bit, we're probably going to kiss some more. Now that I remember them, I realized how badly I missed his kisses.**

**Whoops. He's looking at me with that 'you're about to be kissed' look. I sure hope I don't end up staying awake so long that I fall asleep for most of the plane r-**

***.*.*.*.***

Sabrina laughed aloud as Puck's patience finally wore thin, and her sentence trailed off into a scribble. The pen clattered to the floor and rolled under the desk while she situated herself in his lap and kissed him, the pages of the journal flipping themselves to distribute the weight properly.

"Dork," she murmured between kisses. Then she refused to give him a chance to speak up in retaliation, kissing him just as enthusiastically. There was a _very _good chance she would not be getting any sleep before the flight.

***.*.*.*.***

Sabrina shifted and opened her eyes groggily, feeling like she'd been sleeping for far longer than she had. When she felt her entire body get jostled, she yelped and clutched onto the nearest person, who happened to be Puck. An embarrassed look crossed her features as half the plane turned to look at her. The yelp had been damn near deafening on the flight, since many people had been trying to sleep. True enough, she and Puck had been so distracted, she'd felt like a zombie when it came time to get on the plane. She'd only been asleep for a few hours.

"Oh, uh..." she looked to Puck, begging him to have an excuse for her.

Puck looked at her and grinned, then looked at the people who were staring at them. "Sorry about that," he said. "She's easily surprised. You should see her on a roller coaster."

A few of them mumbled, then just turned to ignore her again.

Sabrina ducked her head. "I forgot we were on a plane," she whispered, reaching under the seat to find her carry-on bag, where she'd tucked her diary before getting on.

Puck put his hand on her leg and gave it a slight squeeze. "You were pretty out of it not long after takeoff," he said.

Sabrina's cheeks colored again, and she scooted as close as the seats would allow. "I'm just glad to be going home."

Puck nodded. "You're probably going to get tackled by your sister as soon as we get there," he said. "Knowing her, she's vibrating with excitement."

"Did anyone actually call home and tell them?" Sabrina asked, blinking suddenly. She knew she hadn't. And she knew Puck hadn't. Had Peter...?

Puck paused, and then laughed. "No clue," he said. "Depends on if Peter or Wendy decided to. It didn't occur to me."

Sabrina groaned. "Just perfect."

"Well, all that means is that we _really_ get to surprise them," Puck said. He flashed her a grin. "That's not such a bad thing."

She rolled her eyes, then reached for the little pack at his side, opening it to check on Celeste. Smuggling her in had been hell--thankfully, she had been sedated.

Celeste raised her head and gave Sabrina a sleepy-eyed look. Clearly she was still under the effects of the sedation, as her ears flicked back and forth. But she still recognized Sabrina and gave her a soft whicker.

Sabrina smiled, reaching in to pet her, before shutting the case gently and leaning her head on Puck's shoulder. "So you'll teach me to fly when we get home?" she murmured, keeping her voice soft.

Puck nodded. "Yeah," he murmured. "We'll find a nice, private area, and we'll work through it. Don't worry, I bet you'll catch on in no time."

She smiled again, then closed her eyes. "I'm really glad you found me, Puck."

"So am I," Puck said, his tone utterly serious. "I mean, I'm glad I found you so soon. I _know_ I would have found you eventually."

"You think three or four months is 'soon'?" Sabrina joked. "I guess it could have been worse."

"Think about how long I've been alive," Puck said with a grin, "and then tell me what the definition of 'soon' would be."

"I'm not Briar Rose, I can't sleep a hundred years and wait," Sabrina laughed. "Just be glad I slept for three of those months, or I'd be way more annoyed."

"I like when you're annoyed," Puck said with a broad grin, looking at her with mischief in his eyes.

"But you like it better when I'm being sweet on you," she said confidently.

He lightly stroked her leg, his grin changing into a smirk. "Oh yeah, I like that sort of thing, too," he said.

"Don't do that here," she said, embarrassed. "I don't like that kind of thing in public. Besides, there's an old guy snoring two seats to my left and the whole plane smells like peanuts."

"Sorry," Puck replied, not sounding very sorry at all. "Does that mean that I can do that sort of thing once we're off the plane, then?"

She sighed. "Yeah sure. I'm not gonna win this one," she joked, opening her eyes. "But I'll probably just sleep some more once I see my family. I hate being on planes, and this is a long flight."

"Rest up and get your strength up, because you'll need it when you start the lessons," Puck said.

"Why did you make that sound dirty?" she muttered.

Puck chuckled. "I didn't - that was entirely _your_ mind," he teased.

"Great. Must be Peter's influence," Sabrina groaned. "Or yours. God, you two are alike."

The response she got was immediate. "Am not," Puck said promptly. "I'm hotter."

"Ugh!" Sabrina pulled away and sat up, sighing. "And you both drive me out of my mind."

Puck tilted his head slightly, hair falling over his forehead as he looked at her with a boyish smile. "Would you have me any other way?"

She turned to look at him, studying him for several moments. Then she shrugged. "I guess not. You're an insufferable, pompous, annoying, cocky, arrogant, rude loudmouth, among other things... But you're mine."

"That just might be one of the sweetest things I've ever heard," Puck replied with a smile, reaching for her hand and squeezing. He leaned towards her, lowering his voice. "You're mine, too."

Sabrina felt her cheeks heat up again. "Yeah, I am," she murmured, squeezing his hand once. "And it looks like we're stuck together forever for sure, huh?"

Puck nodded. "Seriously forever," he said. "We're probably going to argue a lot."

"I'll try not to kill you in your sleep," she said earnestly.

He grinned - and then he looked a little wary. "You wouldn't _really_ consider it, would you?" He squeezed her hand again.

"I'd probably consider it," Sabrina grinned roguishly. "But that just means I love ya."

"That is a really interesting interpretation of 'love'," Puck commented, but the grin he still wore showed that he was only teasing. "When we land, you wanna get something to eat, or head straight home?"

"Home first," Sabrina decided. "Unless we have a long layover in an airport with a KFC or an Arby's. Not that I have my hopes up."

Puck shook his head. "Not with this flight," he said. "It'll take us straight into one of the New York airports and we can catch a cab home."

"Then I hope we get home during a meal time," Sabrina murmured. "Hey, I'm gonna try to sleep some more. Will you wake me up if the plane lands or if we crash?"

"Uh...yeah, sure," Puck said, though if they crashed he was pretty sure she'd wake up all on her own. He wisely chose not to say this out loud. "Just go ahead and sleep."

She smiled, then curled up again and closed her eyes, resting against his shoulder. She was asleep again within ten minutes.

Puck sat there and watched her for a while. In all seriousness, it was still hard for him to believe that he had really found her so soon. He'd been fully prepared for the search to take...well, honestly, years. He'd had no guarantee, after all, that she was even on _Earth_. For all he knew, she might have been held in some sort of magical limbo before being allowed to return to this world, and he never would have known.

A part of him was afraid to try and sleep, though the flight _was_ long. He couldn't help but worry a little that this was a dream, and if he slept, he'd wake to find her gone. Though he'd made plans for Christmas that very few people knew about, he hadn't been confident that it would have been the upcoming Christmas or one years from now.

By the time the plane had landed, Sabrina was almost ready to blow off her own reunion and find a fast food joint. She'd slept through the meals and drinks on the flight, and her stomach felt both bottomless and empty.

"I'll give you a hundred dollars cash to break the speed limit," Sabrina complained, halfway to the address Puck had given. The cab driver seemed to be contemplating whether or not breaking the law would be worth it.

Puck chuckled. "You know your mom'll cook up a feast when we get there," he said. "Or order out for pizza, I'm not sure which one." He glanced at the cab driver, unsure if he really wanted to egg it on or not.

The cab driver hesitated just a little bit longer. Then he sighed. "No, no. I'll uh. I'll drive the speed limit."

"Wimp," Sabrina muttered. "Friggin law-abiding people. I'm hungry."

Luckily, it didn't seem like the cab driver had heard her.

"If whatever's at the house isn't enough, I'll run out and get you something else," Puck promised. "And it'll be _normal_ food, too."

Sabrina sighed. But at his words, how could she not just sit back and agree? He was really too sweet sometimes. "Alright. I'll try to be patient."

Puck let out a breath of relief. He knew how she got when she got _really_ frustrated and impatient. _'Point for me_,_'_ he thought with satisfaction when he was confident she'd settled down.

Within the last five minutes of the ride, Sabrina was twitching a little and scowling at the cab driver, who was honestly starting to fear for his life. He sped up within reason, getting them to the condo and trying to speak only to Puck.

Sabrina grabbed Celeste's carrier while Puck was paying for the ride, and since neither of them really had baggage, she grabbed the one bag from the trunk and carried it to the door to wait. She planned on handing Celeste back before opening the door or knocking, in case Daphne really did tackle her on sight. Why did she feel nervous? It was her family.

Puck half-tossed the money to the cab driver, telling him to keep the change - after all, it was Oberon's money - then headed up to the front door. "You okay?" he asked when h saw that she was just standing there, waiting.

"Should I just open the door?" Sabrina asked, looking unsure. "I mean-"

WHUD.

That was the most accurate description of the noise they'd heard, which made Sabrina jump in worry. "Um... Does that happen often?" she asked, looking at the door. It had shaken for a moment.

Puck stared at the door, his eyes open wide. "Um...never as far as I know," he said slowly. "Is that a noise a door is _supposed_ to make?"

She grabbed the door and yanked it open, swinging outwards towards them.

"PAK!" Cory fell forward onto all fours when he no longer had the door to lean against, before shoving himself up and trying to balance.

"C...Cory?" Sabrina yelped. Had her little brother come running for Puck and hit the door!

The little boy was wearing footie pajamas with teddy bear ears and pink wings that had been stapled on.

Puck knelt down and reached out, picking Cory up. "Hey there, Cory," he said, lifting the little boy up. "How'd you know I was there?" He grinned down at the boy.

Cory beamed up at Puck, his eyes shining. "I sawded^^" he explained. That was when he noticed Sabrina looking at him with warmth in her eyes. His jaw dropped, eyes going very wide. "Sabwina! SABWINA?"

Sabrina reached for him with an emotional smile, pulling him into her arms. "Hey Cory. I'm home."

Puck chuckled, giving up the little boy with no hesitation.

"No, Cory," came Daphne's voice as she came around the corner, "Sabrina isn't...."

Her voice trailed off as she stopped in her tracks and stared at her sister in the doorway, her eyes slowly, gradually, growing huge.

Sabrina's breath caught again. She had prepared herself for the reunion, but actually going through it was completely different. She found herself clutching Cory tighter, blinking back tears. "H-hey, Daphne. Wow... you're taller."

Daphne swallowed hard. "Yeah," she whispered, knowing she had grown quite a bit in various ways, not just height. "You're...Sabrina." It didn't sound like a stupid thing to say to her. She couldn't believe she was actually looking at her sister.

Then she was moving, rushing to her sister and her brother and throwing her arms around both of them tightly.

"Oomph!" Cory snuggled between his sisters, delighted. "Daphwe, I has a Sabwina!"

Sabrina closed her eyes tightly, shifting to wrap one of her arms around Daphne too. Her throat felt too tight to speak, so she didn't say anything else.

Daphne swallowed hard, feeling a large lump in her throat. "When?" she whispered. "How? Where?" She couldn't actually form full questions, and before Sabrina could answer, she buried her face into her side.

Sabrina sniffled. "Uh... it's a really long story, Daphne. I'll tell everyone when I only have to say it like, once," she promised, sounding choked up. "Are mom and dad home?"

"I think so, Dad might be up in his office, and I'm not really sure where Mom is at the moment, I was watching Cory," Daphne replied. She released Sabrina, then tugged on her shirt. "Let's go find them."

Sabrina nodded softly, tucking Cory gently into her arms. He clearly had no intention of letting go.

A moment of panic struck, making her jump. "Oh no, Celeste!" She looked to her side, where she'd had the carrier.

Puck held up the carrier, and Celeste was poking her head out of it. "I've got her," he said as the little pony whickered and kicked at the side of her box.

"Oh good," Sabrina sighed in relief. "I completely forgot to hand her over."

"Kitty!" Cory exclaimed, reaching for her.

Celeste's ears twitched as she stared at Cory.

Daphne giggled. "Cory, Celeste isn't a kitty," she said, "she's a pony."

"Oh," Corry pushed his face against Sabrina a little. "PONY!"

Celeste looked much happier at that. Yes. She was a pony.

"I think Daphne's got the right idea, let's get inside and look for your parents," Puck said. He grinned at Daphne. "Your other half isn't around, is he?"

Daphne turned bright red.

"Oh yeah, I have to give Kerdy hell," Sabrina murmured. "Is he here today?"

Cory grabbed a fistful of Sabrina's hair to hang onto, bringing it to his mouth and munching on some of it.

Daphne shook her head. "He hasn't come by yet," she said. "He doesn't come over _every_ day."

"Almost every day," Puck said with a grin, enjoying giving Daphne a hard time.

"My little sister's all grown up," Sabrina joked softly. "Are you happy, Daphne?"

Daphne blushed deeper, but she managed a shy smile and nodded at Sabrina. "Yes," she said. "Don't tease him _too_ much okay?"

"No promises," Sabrina smiled at her. "So how have things been without me?"

"Not the same," Daphne replied immediately. "We've all missed you - it's been good, but it hasn't been the same without you."

"I'm sorry, Daphne," Sabrina said, her tone sincere. "I really wish there had been a different way."

Daphne reached up and wiped at her eyes, trying to act like something was stuck in them. "It's not your fault," she said, shaking her head. "And what you did...it saved Kerdy and a lot of other people." She smiled at Sabrina. "Now that you're home everything is okay."

"I'll try not to die or vanish or get amnesia again," Sabrina murmured solemnly. "I promise."

"Sabwina," Cory whispered, hugging her tighter.

"You better not," Puck said, looking at her as Daphne nodded fervently. "I think you've hit your allowed quota on anything like that."

Sabrina grinned at Puck. "I'm done with the--oh man! I just remembered I'm not getting a car!"

"Actually..."

Sabrina turned again at the voice, looking into the kitchen. Seeing her mother standing there with a goofy apron on and a phone in her hand, a sure sign that Veronica had burned lunch and ordered out, made Sabrina's throat tighten again. "M-mom. You're home..."

"It's Saturday," Veronica murmured. "I got off of work early." Her eyes were misty from tears that had yet to fall, and it just made everyone else more emotional.

Cory craned his head to look at Veronica, then tugged Sabrina's hair. "Mommy! I has Sabwina!"

Daphne looked at Veronica, and instantly there were tears in her eyes again. "Mom," she said. "Mom, look...S-Sabrina's home." She'd gotten herself under control just to have it shattered by seeing her mother's expression at the sight of Sabrina.

Even Puck had to avert his eyes, shoving a hand through his hair and trying not to look like he was affected by it.

"What's going on down here?" Henry's voice came from the top of the stairs that led up to the second floor, having heard voices in his office but unable to make out what people were saying.

Sabrina swallowed again, turning to look to the stairway as Veronica made her way over and hugged her tight.

"DADDY!" Cory started to get excited, tears welling up in his eyes as well. "DADDY I HAS SABWINA!"

There was silence from the stairs for a moment, and then Henry was suddenly rushing down them, grasping the banister and taking them two at a time - which they never saw him do.

His eyes widened when he reached the bottom and realized that Cory wasn't just daydreaming - Sabrina really was there. He stopped in his tracks. "Sabrina."

The first sniffle made Cory look up in confusion--the second made him join in and start crying. Sabrina had lost her ability to hold it back, fully crying in Veronica's arms with her baby brother safely in their embrace. The blonde teenager lifted her head to look at Henry, crying and trying to smile at the same time.

"I-I... I'm home," she managed to choke out, closing her eyes tightly as she felt more tears coming.

Henry swallowed hard. "Welcome home," he whispered, voice thick. Then he crossed the room and pulled his entire family into his arms somehow, evening managing to snag Daphne back.

"And you're getting a car," Veronica said tearfully. "Just please stop dying!"

"It's not like I wanted to!" Sabrina reached up to grasp Henry's arm with one hand, sniffling loudly. "I'm sorry, mom!"

Cory started to sob--if other people cried, he generally cried too. And everyone seemed to be crying.

"It's okay, Sabrina," Henry managed, not crying but sounding like he could at any moment. "You don't have to be sorry... you don't, it's not your fault."

"I missed you," Sabrina whispered shakily, hugging everyone so tight it started to hurt a little.

Cory's wailing was cut short by a very loud and almost angry growl. He tensed, then gasped. "Daddy!" he yelped, while Sabrina blushed. "Sabwina tummy go rawr!"

Veronica started to laugh. "We have lunch in the kitchen. Let's go sit down and you and Puck can tell us everything."

"I'm surprised she lasted this long waiting for food," Puck joked with a laugh.

"You're going to get hit, Puck," Daphne warned him.

"He's allowed to laugh; he was there when I tried to pay the cab driver a hundred dollars just to speed so I could get food sooner," Sabrina mumbled, embarrassed.

"Go rawr!" Cory echoed, staring down at Sabrina's stomach. "Tummy? Tummy?"

Sabrina laughed and kissed his head. "Are you hungry, Cory?"

"No?" Cory beamed at her.

"Well, I am," she smirked, licking her lips. "And your toes look very tasty!"

Cory gasped. "NOMYTOES!" he yelped, before dissolving into giggles as Sabrina ticked him, carrying him to the kitchen.

Daphne laughed, hurrying to follow with Puck behind them.

Henry swallowed hard, and put his arm around Veronica's shoulders. He pulled her close to him. "She's home," he whispered.

"I hope it's for good this time," Veronica whispered, wiping her eyes. She watched Sabrina gently set Cory on the kitchen counter, then playfully tickle and nip at his feet. Cory only laughed harder and struggled, clearly enjoying his oldest sister's attention.

Henry nodded, kissing the top of his wife's hair. "So do I," he murmured. "So do I."

"PAK!" Cory managed to yelp between hysterical giggles. "PAK HAP ME!"

"Nomnomnom!" Sabrina laughed, nibbling at his toes and holding his ankles so she didn't get kicked in the face. Her other hand was reaching for the pizza that had been sitting on the counter.

"Help you?" Puck repeated, grinning down at the little boy as he stood next to Sabrina. "I don't know if I can, Cory. I don't think she'd find my toes as tasty."

"PAK!" Cory squeaked in disbelief, squirming and rolling around a bit.

Sabrina giggled and let go. "Better save him," she whispered. "So I can eat."

Puck grinned again. "But you know what, I think you're worth the risk." He reached down and promptly plucked Cory off of the counter and into his arms, figuring Sabrina would let go of him as soon as he did.

"Aw, man!" Sabrina huffed, tossing herself into the nearest stool to sit down. "I guess I have to eat the pizza instead." Which she did. Quickly.

Cory flung himself fully into Puck's arms, catching his breath and giggling. "Pak! My toes!" He kicked his feet.

Puck made a show of checking Cory's feet, which made Daphne laugh, before nodding seriously. "Yep," he said. "They're all there."

Cory breathed a cute sigh of relief, before snuggling. "Otay. Sankies, Pak."

Sabrina grinned over at Puck, working on her third piece of pizza. Her eyes seemed to communicate the message that she thought he was adorable.

Puck caught the look and to his chagrin, felt himself flushing at little. He'd forgotten that Sabrina wouldn't have seen him like this with Cory before.

Daphne looked impish, and leaned over to Sabrina. "Puck's really good with Cory," she whispered.

"Is he, now?" Sabrina grinned. "I look forward to seeing more of that."

Daphne smiled, and nodded. She was sure Sabrina would - normally Puck might try to hide it, but Daphne doubted that Cory would _let _him.

"I has my Pak," Cory giggled. "I has my Sabwina... I has my Daphwe! Um..." He wrinkled his nose. "Where can my Kerby be?"

Daphne giggled. "I think Kerdy's at home," she said. "Want me to call him, Cory?"

Cory nodded earnestly. "Daphwe make kiss kiss!"

"Daphne," Veronica said in a warning tone. "What have you and Kerdy been doing while 'babysitting' Cory?"

Sabrina snorted into her pizza, laughing.

"Um..." Daphne looked at her mother hesitantly, acting like she'd just gotten her hand caught in the cookie jar. "...kiss kiss?"

"Grr," Veronica scowled. "I think I need to have a talk with Kerdy."

"I'll join you," Henry said, which caused Daphne to squeak.

"No!" she pleaded. "I promise it was never more than that and it wasn't even much it wasn't like we were neglecting Cory!"

"Sorry Daphne," Sabrina said. "I had to go through it, and now you have to go through it."

Daphne looked at Sabrina tearfully. "But you were supposed to make it easier for me!" she protested.

"Dad doesn't have a shotgun in his hand. Thank me later," Sabrina said coolly.

"Why don't you go ahead and call Kerdy now, in fact?" Henry asked, raising an eyebrow at Daphne.

"Um..."

"Aw, c'mon dad," Sabrina said, giving in at the look on Daphne's face. It was still her little sister. "You can't be mean to Daphne and Kerdy right now. I just got home." She looked to her parents and gave her best pouty-face.

Henry saw the look on Sabrina's face...and sighed. He looked at Veronica. "I think she's right."

"You get a freebie," Veronica said, frowning at Daphne. "But don't think this means you're completely off the hook."

Daphne let out a breath of relief. "Okay, I'll go call him then." She hurried for the phone, picking it up and dialing Kerdy's number.

Sabrina watched her go, then glanced to her parents. "Thanks," she murmured, smiling when

Henry nodded.

"Until then, help yourself to as much food as you want," he said. He gave his daughter a smile.

"I'm gonna be sick and I don't care," Sabrina admitted, going for another slice of pizza. "I shouldn't have slept through the meal on the plane."

"Plane?" Veronica asked.

"England. Long story. Peter Pan--sorry, Darling--is a jerk."

"I'm so glad she agrees with me on that point," Puck cut in, unable to resist adding his two cents in on the 'Peter Pan is a jerk' bit. Because he _was_.

"...England?" Veronica asked, eyebrows going up. "Peter Pan?"

"Peter Darling now," Sabrina said nonchalantly. "He married Wendy."

"What?" Daphne turned to look at Sabrina, still holding the phone receiver and staring at her. A split second later, her hand was shoved into her mouth.

Sabrina laughed. "You still do that?" she couldn't help but ask. Then she grinned. "Yeah I'll tell you all about it in a minute."

Daphne nodded, and then looked back at the phone. A moment later she frowned, and hung up. "Answering machine," she said, disappointed. "I wonder where he is."

"Give me a minute to finish up," Sabrina promised. "And then I'll tell you. We can tell Kerdy later."

"Okay," Daphne replied, but she looked a little saddened that she didn't know where Kerdy was. Puck was tempted to tease her about her reaction.

"He's probably on his way over here," Veronica commented. "He usually runs over here in his free time."

Cory reached up to pat Puck on the cheeks, smiling. As far as his baby-world was concerned, he was content and life was perfect.

Puck grinned down at Cory. "Why don't you go sit by the window?" he suggested to Daphne. "I'm sure he'll be here soon."

Daphne perked up. "Okay," she said, hurrying for the front room.

Daphne got to the window just as Kerdy, as Veronica had predicted, got to the door. He had his backpack with him, meaning he was attempting to make his visit seem like a homework visit.

Daphne saw him through the window, and immediately pulled open the door. She beamed up at him. "Kerdy!" she cried, reaching for his hand and pulled him into the house.

"Whoa!" Kerdy grinned, letting himself be pulled in easily. "Hey Princess. Happy to see me?"

Daphne nodded, beaming up at him. "Yes!" she said. "Come here! Come to the kitchen!" She didn't stop pulling him into the other room.

"What's got you so excited?" Kerdy laughed, following along. "I didn't even take my shoes off yet!"

"You'll see, you'll see!" Daphne pulled him into the kitchen and stopped, beaming. "Look!"

She didn't give any more explanation - after all, Sabrina was sitting right there.

Sabrina looked up from her tenth slice--or maybe it was only her fifth--of pizza. "Sup."

"Sabrina!" Kerdy's face lit up. "Hey, when did you get back?"

"Mmphabo," she said around the pizza.

"It's a long story, and we were waiting for you to get here before going into it," Puck said with a grin as he looked at Kerdy. "After she eats, though. We had a long plane ride."

"Welcome back, Puck," Kerdy said warmly, putting both hands on Daphne's shoulders. "You too, Sabrina."

"How're the wings?" Sabrina asked, coughing a bit on the last of her food. She was already feeling sick to her stomach.

"Awkward to manage. How about you?" Kerdy asked, having already noted that she slouched a bit more than before.

"Oh uh... I haven't figured out how to fully use mine yet," Sabrina admitted. "How'd you know I still had wings?"

He shrugged and smiled. "Well, you're a fairy now, aren't you?"

Daphne's eyes widened, and she stared at her sister. "You have wings?" she squeaked, automatically leaning back against Kerdy.

"Yeah," Sabrina looked flustered. "I have to learn to use them still. Puck said he'd teach me."

"Start from the beginning now and tell us where you've been," Veronica said anxiously.

"And go ahead and take your time - don't leave anything out," Henry said, wanting to know everything about what had happened to Sabrina - where she was, what she'd been doing...all of it.

"Let me grab some oats for Celeste and we can move to the living room," Veronica said, heading to one of the cabinets. "That way everyone can sit down."

"Kay," Sabrina picked up her soda, feeling like she'd eaten way too much. Standing made her groan and frown at the remaining pizza like it was at fault.

"Are you okay?" Daphne asked, looking at her sister anxiously as they all started to move towards the living room.

"She probably just overdid the eating," Puck said with a teasing grin at Sabrina.

Sabrina scowled at Puck. "Stop laughing at me and help."

Puck held up Cory, whom he was still holding. "My hands are full with Cory, should I put him down first?" he asked.

Daphne looked at Kerdy. "Puck's going to get hit, isn't he?"

"Hold him with one arm, and help me with the other," Sabrina scowled.

"Nah, I'll annoy him for old time's sake," Kerdy whispered to Daphne, leaning down. Then he straightened, released Daphne, and walked over to Sabrina, sweeping her up into his arms. "I'll carry you, Sabrina. Just wrap your arms around my neck."

Sabrina rolled her eyes, but decided not to protest, holding her soda with one hand and using the other to wrap around his shoulders.

Daphne pressed her hand over her mouth, trying to suppress her giggle.

Puck's eyes widened, then narrowed swiftly. "Kerdy," he growled, not at all amused or pleased by this sudden turn of events.

"You take care of Cory," Kerdy snickered. "I'll take care of your girl."

Cory shoved his hand into his mouth and grinned at his name.

Puck scowled at Kerdy. "I'm going to get back at you for this," he said, because he knew very well that he couldn't put Cory down now, or shift him and try to help Sabrina, too, with her in Kerdy's arms. "You know that, right?"

"You can try," Kerdy smirked. "But I think I can push your buttons easier than you could push mine."

"Boys," Sabrina groaned. "He just got done arguing like this with Peter. I don't need this at home too."

"Puck argued with Peter Pan?" Daphne asked, looking at Sabrina with wide eyes. "And he didn't try to kill him?"

"I'll explain," Sabrina sighed, thanking Kerdy when he set her on the couch. Once everyone got situated, she launched into her extremely long explanation of everything that had happened from the moment she had given the book the instructions that had led to her disappearance.

***.*.*.*.***

"And then Puck and I got on the plane and headed home," Sabrina finished, pushing a hand through her long hair. Puck had chimed in to explain what he'd been up to, and there had only been a few interruptions for the entire story.

"Which was its own adventure, what with her falling asleep and missing all of the meals," Puck said, looking at Sabrina with a grin - an affectionate grin.

Henry looked at Sabrina. He'd listened to the story in almost complete silence, absorbing it all. "It's almost hard to believe you're really here."

"Trust me," Sabrina shook her head. "It's hard to believe all of that happened."

"At least you're home in time for Christmas," Veronica said warmly.

Daphne's eyes lit up. "That's right, you are!" she said, looking at her sister eagerly. "We'll be able to get ready for Christmas together. Make cookies and decorate and get presents and everything."

"Yeah," Sabrina smiled at Daphne. "How come nothing's decorated?"

"We're going to gather at Relda's for Christmas," Veronica said. "Jake and Briar, Mr. Canis and Red are also coming."

"It'll be the first time we've all been together since leaving Ferryport Landing," Henry added.

Puck scowled a little. "No one told me about that," he said. "What if I'd shown up randomly and found no one here? I'd have had to spend Christmas with my _parents_."

"About that," Veronica smirked at Puck. "We invited your family."

"...." Several emotions crossed Puck's face at once. Shock, horror, suspicion, uncertainty, and finally it decided to settle on dismay. "You... you invited my family?" He swallowed hard, and then shook his head. "You shouldn't have done that. You don't know what you're getting yourselves in to."

"Given that Mustardseed clued me into something," Veronica said, eying Puck. "I think you'd better be glad that inviting them is all we did."

Her eyes seemed to burn right through Puck, and all of it went over Sabrina's head.

"Oh yeah," Kerdy grinned at Puck. "Irenee said hi. I visited her the other day."

Puck looked at Kerdy, and to his credit (or at least he felt it was to his credit), he didn't blush. Or he hoped he didn't. "She did, huh?" he asked, trying to keep his tone idle.

He glanced from Kerdy to Veronica, a little wary.

Veronica smirked again. "Glad we're in agreement."

"What?" Sabrina looked up at them all, taking Cory. The little boy had started fussing for her attention.

"Nothing," Puck said promptly, shooting her entire family, plus Kerdy, a warning look. He didn't know how they'd found out, though he could guess, and he was _not_ going to have someone spill the secret to Sabrina before he was ready.

Daphne managed to keep her mouth shut, though she had to snuggle close to Kerdy to manage it.

Kerdy wrapped his arm around Daphne and grinned. "My family promised to be there too."

"Yay!" Veronica clapped her hands in front of her. "I tried to convince the Charmings to come. Luckily, I talked to Snow and not William."

"Did she say whether or not they would?" Henry asked. "I imagine Cory would love to have Cassia around for the holidays." He reached over and put his hand on Veronica's knee.

"Did you have to say the name?" Veronica bit her lip. Cory had perked up and was now looking for his favorite playmate.

Henry faltered, and looked at Cory. He'd forgotten and slipped up - usually they were careful to not mention Cassia's name in front of Cory. "Oops..."

"Cory," Sabrina murmured. "Will you play with me? I missed you lots."

Cory paused in mid-search for Cassia, staring up at Sabrina. Then his eyes shone with love and baby happiness. "SABWINA!" He threw himself upwards into her face, making her yelp, but apparently she had picked the perfect words.

Daphne beamed at Sabrina, thrilled at the fact that her sister was still just as good with Cory as ever.

"Do you want to see the rest of the condo, Sabrina?" Daphne asked. "You can see Cory's room, I bet he'd love to show it to you."

"Yeah," Sabrina hugged Cory, swallowing again. "I'd like that a lot."

"You have a room here too," Veronica said softly. "I know it might take some time to get situated. Let us know if you need anything at all. We'll eat dinner as a family tonight, too."

"I love you too mom, but please don't mention food right now," Sabrina said with a grin, getting up and holding Cory close. She imagined in a few years, he would act a lot like Tiger.

Daphne smiled and stood up, smiling at Sabrina and Cory. "I'll give you the entire tour," she said. "Every part of the house, and then I'll show you your room."

Sabrina smiled at her sister, overwhelmed again. She felt sure it would take some time getting used to being home and getting into the swing of things, but it was still nice to be with her family.

***.*.*.*.***

The Grimm household had either grown in size with the absence of so many people, or it just seemed larger after having been away for so long. After the hugs and laughs and reunions, most people had gathered in the living room to laugh and exchange stories. Red had grown a little, clearly more mature from the last time they had seen her. She was talking excitedly about the latest endeavor in Paris, and an interest she'd taken up in fashion. Not enough to make Mr. Canis cringe or take her to too many stores, but enough that she was giving Daphne advice about what to wear and when.

Red also seemed to be aware that she was dressing cuter and attracting attention from other boys. It was kind of fun to watch Mr. Canis snarl at any boy who tried to flirt with her.

Cory was in the middle of the room, lying under the Christmas tree and giggling. He enjoyed the different ornaments and lights that twinkled overhead. It was a momentary distraction, because everyone was hoping the Charmings would be over for Christmas Eve soon. They were the last to arrive--and with Sabrina insisting she would behave if she stayed with Puck in the tree house and the others dividing up the rooms as well, there were only minimal space arguments. Luckily, Titania and Oberon claimed to have their own accommodations. They didn't clarify.

Relda was fussing nonstop over her grandchildren, especially Sabrina, since most of them had thought that they wouldn't have her for Christmas.

It was while attention was being lavished on Sabrina - and Cory, since he was being adorable - that the bell to the front door rang.

Daphne looked up. "That must be the Charmings!" she said with extreme excitement. She looked at Red and smiled, standing up from her seat. The two girls had been chatting constantly.

Red smiled back at Daphne, watching as the girl stood, and then dashed to the door. At the word 'Charming', Cory sat upright, poking his face on the tree with a cute yelp, before rolling and pushing himself up to his feet. He had a little Santa hat on his head. "CASSA?"

Sabrina laughed, unable to help herself. Cory had a one-track mind sometimes.

Snow stood on the front steps next to William, holding Cassia in her arms. Mother and daughter were wearing identical fur-lined parkas, though Cassia's had little kitty ears attached to the hood of hers.

"Hi!" Daphne said, her eyes lighting up when she saw them. "Oh, wow...Cassia got big!"

Cassia beamed at Daphne, her wide, round eyes sparkling. "Cory?" she asked hopefully. Cory's name was rather easy to pronounce, and it had been one of the first names she could do clearly.

William sighed. They had a bag of presents with them, but he had refused to dress as Santa. "Won't you invite us in? Or have you not grown into some manners, Grimm?"

Daphne blushed, but she just smiled at him and stepped aside. "You haven't changed at all since the last time I saw you," she said happily. William would always be William.

Snow laughed, affection in her eyes as she stepped into the house, leaving her husband to bring in the presents. "Sorry we're late," she said. "We got caught up with a few things."

"That's fine," Veronica said, walking over to welcome them. "You're not very late at all, unless you ask Cory."

Cory thudded against Veronica's legs, having gone full speed to try and find Cassia. He landed on his butt with a comical yelp, before smiling sheepishly, a look that made him resemble his father the most.

Snow and Cassia both looked down, and immediately Cassia let out a squeal of joy.

Her mother knelt down and set her on the ground, and the little girl immediately tackled the little boy in a hug. "Cory cory cory cory cory!"

Cory squealed right back, grasping Cassia and nearly falling on her. "CASSA CASSA CASSA!"

"Sounds like Cory found Cassia," Red smiled and looked to the adults in the room. "It's a shame they live so far away from each other."

"But it's encouraging that they haven't forgotten each other, even with the distance," Briar said with a smile. "When they get older the distance won't matter so much." She watched the two toddlers half-wrestle half-cuddle around the floor.

"It's pretty impressive," Sabrina agreed. "I don't remember much from that age."

"Same," Jake grinned sheepishly.

Daphne walked over, and Snow had taken William's hand to guide him over to the group as well, leaving Cassia and Cory to play. Daphne looked thoughtful. "I don't think I do, either," she said. "Do I?"

"You don't want to," Sabrina promised. "I could tell Kerdy stories that'd make your head pop right off."

Kerdy laughed. "Her mom already showed me baby pictures. We're kinda even, since my mom did the same thing."

"My babies are adorable!" Gerda insisted, puffing up her cheeks.

Daphne beamed. "I think Kerdy's baby pictures are adorable, too," she said immediately, looking at Kerdy with affection. She spoke in the same tone of voice that she'd used when younger and trying to convince Kerdy that his name was fine.

Kerdy smiled over at Daphne, then glanced at his watch. "An hour to midnight, and then we open presents?"

"Yep," Veronica nodded. "We have games to play until then."

"What kind of games?" Puck asked, lounging a bit next to Sabrina. He was doing his best to look bored, even though inside he was secretly dying to get to the present-unwrapping part.

"Apples to Apples, charades, maybe some Uno," Veronica looked thoughtful.

"I'll sit out and watch the kids," Red offered, not wanting to play any of the games.

"I'll do the same," Mr. Canis added, and no one opted to try to force him into games. If he said he didn't want to play, then he didn't want to play.

By the time the games ended and half the room was embarrassed by their own actions from charades, most people were either exhausted and ready to sleep, or incredibly wound up and excited. The kids tore through their presents (with Cory constantly trying to offer his presents to Cassia) until it seemed every last present had been exchanged and everything was over.

Only Sabrina was unsuspecting--everyone else, including a very amused Titania and Oberon, kept watching for Puck to make his move.

Puck was quite obviously fidgeting where he sat next to Sabrina. His nerves were completely shot, and it was only because there were no more presents that he even had the guts to do what he was about to do.

He swallowed hard, trying to ignore the expectant expressions on everyone's faces. Taking a deep breath, he got to his feet. "One more present," he declared, keeping the nervousness out of his tone as best as he could.

"Really?" Sabrina looked up at him. The room was cluttered with new things, the floor decorated with ripped wrapping paper, tape, and ribbons. Cory and Cassia had matching bows slapped into their foreheads, both hugging new toys and trying to hug each other too. "I don't see anything else. It better not be another pony... Celeste would be pissed."

Titania chuckled. "She rather enjoys herself in Faerie."

Sabrina managed to grin. Celeste had been stuck with either staying tiny in the condo or full size and living near Oberon and Titania. They'd finally returned her to her normal size, with Sabrina visiting often. It was also a trick to make Puck visit his family more.

"No, it's not another pony," Puck said with a grin. He looked at her. "Wait right there."

Ignoring the look that Mustardseed was giving him - that 'just how are you going to do this' look - he headed across the room to a bookshelf. He hesitated for a moment, and then reached behind a couple of books to pull out a small, perfectly wrapped package.

"You're touching books?" Sabrina teased. "You don't want to borrow more of my romance novels, do you?"

Kerdy snorted into his hand, laughing.

Puck turned towards her and grinned. "I don't _need_ a romance book," he said.

Package in hand, he walked back over to her. "Stand up," he said.

Frowning, Sabrina stood. She had a new fleece blanket from Briar wrapped around herself, and her pajamas had been a present from Veronica. She looked comfy and absolutely adorable, cocking her head to the side. "Why do I have to stand for this? You're not going to make my wings pop out, are you?" She scowled affectionately at him. He had discovered during their lessons that if he pinched her in the right spot, her wings popped out. She was trying to find the wing-pop spot on him.

Puck shook his head. "Nope," he said. He looked down at the present - and then frowned slightly. He'd wrapped it, so he couldn't just open the box...

Hmm.

He held out the wrapped gift to her. "Unwrap it," he said, "but don't open it yet."

"The heck?" Sabrina took the box, looking at it curiously. Shrugging, she did as he asked and unwrapped the present, leaving the little box closed. "Okay, now what?"

Puck smiled, then reached out and took the little box from her.

He paused for a moment, and while everyone else in the room went quiet, seemed to stand there in thought.

Then he slowly dropped down onto one knee, looking rather princely in that moment. "Sabrina, will you marry me?" he asked without hesitation, as he opened up the box to reveal the ring that lay inside.

The room fell so completely silent, that if a pin had dropped, it could have been heard by the neighbors. Sabrina found herself staring blankly down at the ring, not quite realizing what it meant. It was a pure silver ring with randomly placed diamonds spinning upwards from delicate lengths of silver and shimmering green material. A second glance made her realize that if she placed her winged ring through the holes and gaps, it would fit perfectly and look like diamond pixies or stars next to the wings she already had. No doubt, it had been made to fit with her ring, a custom order for Irenee.

A quick look around the room showed that she was the only one who hadn't realized the proposal was coming. Her family was smiling and emotional, while Puck's family looked smug, and all of their friends were grinning at the love and relationship that had blossomed from such a small spark. A spark that had started with anger, no less.

Her eyes went back to Puck then, and she could feel herself trembling. "Are you... are you serious?" They were only sixteen. They had two full years before they'd be adults--had he asked permission from her father? Whose name would he take? Did he want them to move out? She had no idea!

Puck looked up at her, his gaze steady. In that instant, having made the proposal, he'd let all of his nervous feelings evaporate. He looked at her now with complete and total confidence.

"I'm completely serious," Puck said, looking up at her. "I know we're only sixteen, but what's the difference between now and two years from now? We have forever, after all - there's no reason for us to not start sooner instead of later."

Sabrina swallowed around the lump in her throat, looking to her parents. Veronica was smiling encouragingly at her, squeezing Henry's hand, and also looking teary-eyed.

Henry looked at his eldest daughter, and there was nothing but tenderness and love in his expression. He'd had a lot of time to come to terms with Sabrina and Puck's relationship - and now that she was finally home, and hopefully for good, he wanted nothing more than for her to be happy.

Daphne had her hand shoved into her mouth, and she was practically vibrating next to Kerdy. She couldn't hide the excitement in her eyes.

Sabrina smiled tearfully, looking back to Puck. What else could she possibly say? "Yes," she whispered, realizing that everyone she cared about was in that very room, and several of them were there simply to see Puck propose.

A brilliant smile broke out across Puck's face, and he rose to his feet and pulled her into his arms in one movement. "Yes?" he repeated. "Really?"

"What do you mean, really?" she laughed, wrapping her arms around him. "I'm surprised you didn't say 'took ya long enough' or 'of course you do' or something like that!" She didn't give him a chance to reply, kissing him on the lips and not even caring about the ring for the moment.

At once he was caught up in the kiss and delivering it ten times stronger, his arms wrapped tight around her. He forgot, momentarily, that they were in a room surrounded by their closest friends and family. As often happened when he was kissing her, he was thinking of her and her alone.

By the time the kiss stopped, the younger kids and teenagers were blushing or clapping, while Titania and Veronica shook hands. Congratulations were passed around, and had it not been for the fact that William was trying to look away to avoid having to acknowledge what had just happened, he might have noticed what Cory was doing.

The young boy often copied Puck--he looked up to the older boy with hero-worship all the time. So, after having seen how happy Puck had made Sabrina, Cory grasped Cassia's hands and brought her up to her feet, toddling to one side when it seemed like they might topple over. As soon as she was situated, he plopped to his knees and held up another one of his presents, which was only partially unwrapped.

Cassia blinked, and then let out a gasp and reached out happily for the present, accepting the offering from Cory. "Yes!" she said cheerfully, copying Sabrina's response to what Puck had done.

Snow looked at them, and covered her mouth to hide her smile as she realized what Cory and Cassia were copying.

"Yay!" Cory hugged her tightly and gave her a sweet kiss on the cheek. "!"

"Wait. Yes what? What did my daughter just agree to?" William demanded, looking over.

Snow reached over and placed her hand on William's arms. "I believe our daughter is now engaged," she said with a smile, knowing how he'd react to it phrased that way.

"What?" Henry looked over, startled, for he hadn't noticed what was happening either.

"WHAT?" William had the room's attention now.

"My daughter will do no such thing!" he insisted, scowling at the toddlers. Who completely ignored them.

Cassia was happily holding the half-unwrapped present now, and then she flopped to her knees and hugged Cory, cuddling him. She was oblivious to her father's reaction - her daddy reacted like that often, but he was never mad at her.

"Oh let them have fun," Veronica said, rolling her eyes. "It's adorable."

William scowled. "If my daughter thinks she's marrying a Grimm..."

"You're welcome for fixing the barrier and bringing down the Master," Sabrina said dryly. "Now leave my brother alone, thanks."

The scowl deepened.

Daphne nodded, beaming. "Besides, isn't it important that Cassia is happy?" she asked William. "And she's really happy whenever she sees Cory." She looked at Kerdy. "Right, Kerdy?"

"Not a good argument since he doesn't want them dating in ten years," Kerdy chuckled, hugging Daphne.

Gerda clasped her hands in front of her. "Everything is so romantic right now!"

"No, mom," Kerdy said, blushing. He knew she was using her romance-radar to try and see if her sons were ready to settle down. He almost wanted to remind her that he was physically thirteen or fourteen.

"Oh... Forse, what about you? Are you in love yet?" she asked brightly.

Daphne blushed and snuggled against Kerdy, not objecting to the hug.

Forse chuckled. "You'd know if I were, Mother," he said. "No, I'm painfully single at the moment."

Red glanced over at Forse and offered a smile--partially apologetic, partially interested. She looked away just as quickly.

She didn't look away fast enough for Forse to miss the smile, or for him to keep from giving one in return. And he resolved to have a one-on-one conversation with Red at some point when his mother and Mr. Canis were not in the room.

He tried to ignore the look Mr. Canis shot in his direction.

"Let's go to the tree house," Sabrina whispered under her breath to Puck, since everyone else seemed to be busy.

Puck looked at her and nodded, taking her hand and leading her out of the room. Though he had relocated to New York with her family officially, his room was still as it had been when he'd left. Including the tree house.

"Shame we don't have a tree house in New York," Sabrina murmured as they snuck up the stairs and down the hall. "I miss it."

"All you have to do is ask," Puck said with a grin. "I'll see what I can come up with. After all, there's no reason we _can't_."

Sabrina looked to him and smiled. "I can't believe you really proposed... Hey, where's my ring?"

"Right here," Puck replied, holding up his other hand. "Can we wait until we get to the tree house before I put it on your finger? For some reason I really want to do it there." He couldn't stop himself from blushing when he said that.

Sabrina grinned again. She loved making him blush. "Okay. Race ya!" She dashed ahead, moving her blanket in front of her so she could let her wings out once they got into the room. She'd probably lose the race on the fact that she wasn't that good with her wings on less than a full month of lessons, but it was fun to be competitive. The winner always got a congratulatory kiss, which made them both win every time.

She couldn't have asked for a better boyfriend—strike that, fiancé.

***.*.*.*.***

**A/N:**

**Sky:** HAPPY CHRISTMASTIMEHOLIDAYBLAHBLAH AGAIN! No promises, but we'll try to hurry and get the last chapters and the one-shots out. Luckily things will be slowing down, but ya never know what'll happen :/

**Fun fact #145: **Apples to apples rocks. Uno rocks too, but if you find King's Blood, play that one. It's Uno, but with moar assassination and marriages!

**Fun Fact #9919: **There is no Arby's or KFC where Ayns and I currently live. When I went out of town, I got to go to them. And Carl's Jr. Do want…

**Fun Fact #506: **We're not going to have them get married before they turn 18 most likely. Long engagement for the win!

**Sorry for any huge errors… I didn't get around to editing this til 4 A.M. Christmas morning lol T.T**

**THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR WONDERFUL REVIEWERS WHO STUCK WITH US! And to all the reviewers since last chapter: mindreadingweirdo, Viva-Musica, A CertainPeanutButterSandwich, Horsegirl99, pottergirl101, Lara D, rose angel 428, CGreene, iluvsummer95, Squid Lips & Chocolate Ants, Aisha, Curlscat, emerald and onyx, Elena Forest, Cookie-Dough-Always, brakeyrlilhartn2, Amy, chemicalsilver, Lyla Domae, JulzAndKate, fallingstar100, gothicgal000, DragonFly7312, moi **(Sorry XD), **missdean **(Thankies and happy late b-day!), **LittleMizWhimsical, Blue-Eyed-Lily, Sabrinagoodfellow, Lumiere Nordiques, ShOrTaNdBlOnDe, watermelonandpeanutbutter, Anon-Sare **(generally in story format it doesn't matter much; in technical writing you can't start sentences with 'but' or 'and'. Of course, word grammar-correct tried to tell me "You is mine" was correct over "You are mine" so… yeah. XD) **MadHattressXX, blueberryc **(Thank you for all the sweet and awesome reviews :3), **pearl4453, Jessi5662Souza, cullen-grimm-ride **(Hm… Read below), **Amy **(Merry Christmas back!), **Brooken Chooken **(Please also read below ^^), **Mickey, iLOVEyouh, **and **-flying-dreaming-dancing-! **

**Sorry to anyone I haven't managed to reply to yet!**

**cullen-grimm-ride: **Hm. All I can really say is just let your story flow. Don't over-think specific plots, or you might get frustrated when it won't come out right. That's how writer's block forms for me. I just like to let my characters go, and sometimes they end up doing things I don't want, but that's the beauty of bringing the story to life! Writing with another person also really helps because it's the best way to 'train' yourself to adapt to things in writing that you didn't plan. That's one of my favorite things about writing with another person ^^

**Brooken Chooken: **Thank you very much. I'm always happy (in a non-sadistic way, I promise) to hear when something I've helped write can move a person to cry ^^ I feel guilty, but I also feel happy that someone else invested emotionally like I did. This is definitely one of the more soap-operaish (I love the new word) plots we've done, so I'm glad people are sticking with the highs and the lows. Thank you very much for the review, have a happy Christmas and awesome new year. Much luvvies!

**So there ya have it! (And if names are misspelled, auto-correct+something funky in my keyboard giving me issues lol…)**

LUVVIES FROM AYNS AND SKY! AND HOLIDAY WHEEEENESS!


	38. Chocolate

**EDIT: Sky: Re-Added scene skips.**

**A/N:**

**Sky: **As many of you know from reading my short story "Just Right", the reason we haven't updated in a long time is because I've been pretty heartbroken. Back in the beginning of January, I had to end things with my fiancé, and I didn't feel like writing as much of NMW as I used to. Ayns and I worked on other stuff to help get my mind off it.

But we're still working on this story ^^ We love and support all the fans, and I'm sorry it took us so long. Since I'm having pretty bad internet problems too, I can't say thanks to everyone who reviewed by name, but I got all of the reviews for NMW and for "Just Right", and both Ayns and I appreciate it.

***.*.*.*.***

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter Thirty-Eight: Chocolate_**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

"I can't believe that really just happened," Sabrina breathed, plopping onto the cushions beside Puck in their tree house. She still had her wings out, excitement in her eyes as she moved the blanket so she could snuggle him with nothing in the way. "This feels like a dream."

"Really?" Puck asked with a grin, wrapping his arms snugly around her. He was quite pleased with how warm she felt in his arms. The tree house was just as warm and welcoming as it had always been for them.

"I never thought _you _of all people could be _that _romantic," Sabrina laughed, folding her wings in so she could snuggle better. "Are we really gonna get married?"

"Of course we are." Puck clasped one of her hands in his, squeezing it tightly. "Do you think I would have asked if I didn't have every intention of making you my wife?"

"Could be a prank," she pointed out, shifting to look him in the eye. Her bright blue met his green with excitement, and she brought her left hand up. "Well?" She removed the ring she already wore, handing it to him so he could fit them together and put it on her finger.

With great care and precision, Puck set the two rings together to form one. Then he gently slid it onto her finger, holding her hand as if it were made out of glass.

"Perfect fit," he murmured.

Sabrina's breath caught a little. She looked to the ring on her finger, then to the boy who had put it there. "We're really really doing this," she said, a smile breaking out on her face. "Really really!"

With the ring secure on her hand, a brilliant smile broke out across his face. "Really really," he echoed with a laugh. He wrapped his wings around her, pulling her to him and kissing her.

Sabrina yelped--it had been a while since he'd used his wings to bring her closer. The yelp turned into a giddy laugh that melted away when their lips met, and then Sabrina was wrapping her arms around his neck, happily kissing him.

They kissed each other breathless, and then Puck broke the kiss, his eyes dancing with laughter.

"I'm going to assume by this reaction that you're happy," he teased.

"I should kill you," she laughed, kissing him softly again. Then she pulled back and looked him in the eye. "Of course I'm happy. Even before this, we already promised forever, ya know?"

Puck nodded, a cool breeze wafting into the tree house and ruffling his hair. "I know," he said. "This just makes it official to everyone else. I want the entire world to know you're mine."

She pulled her new blanket around them both. "Put your wings away so this is easier," she said, cheeks warm.

He obliged her promptly, shifting comfortably on the cushions. "I vote we stay like this for awhile," he murmured. "It's quiet here. And just us."

"Yeah," she murmured, cuddling against him and wrapping her arms around his waist, the blanket tucked securely around them. Her hand found his lower back, gently stroking the spot at the base of where his wings had been to relax him more.

A soft sound rose up from his voice - something easily akin to a purr. His eyes slipped half-shut, and he lowered his head to nuzzle at her. "Only you can subdue me like that," he murmured.

"Yep," Sabrina said with a confident grin. "You're practically purring."

"I am not!" he protested, a flush creeping onto his cheeks. That single spot had the ability to break through his defenses utterly.

"You accuse me of purring all the time when you do this to me," she retorted indignantly. "Besides. You're cute when you purr." she pet that spot a little more lovingly, wanting to stop him from protesting at all.

"I..." His voice faded, his back arching a little into her touch as the sound became more insistent, and his protests died before he could voice them.

"Bwahaha," Sabrina gave an evil laugh and cuddled back up to him, keeping it up. "There we go."

"No fair," Puck murmured. Even if his increasingly relaxed state, though, he was able to return the favor - he brought his hand up to find her spot, fingers tracing lazy circles over it.

"We're not gonna move for a while," Sabrina sighed, letting her eyes close as her entire body took on the consistency of jello. "I'm okay with that."

"Same," Puck murmured. "Eventually they're going to send your sister looking for us, but she'll probably take her time."

"When do you think we should get married?" Sabrina murmured after a few relaxing moments, sounding sleepy.

"As soon as we're able to," Puck replied. "But we'll need time to plan. We're only getting married once, after all, so it's got to be perfect."

"Well we're only sixteen," Sabrina pointed out. "I think we should wait 'til we're at least eighteen, don't you? We can plan it all out perfectly."

"Hmm." Puck looked thoughtful. "Two years to plan the perfect wedding." After another moment's thought, he nodded slightly. "Works for me."

"Dork," she teased, kissing his jaw. "So everyone knew about this but me, huh?"

"Maybe." He gave her his best innocent look. "You were the one who needed to be surprised the most."

She stopped stroking his back, looking at him seriously. "I was surprised," she promised. "I'm also surprised everyone kept it a secret. Especially Daphne."

"Your sister is a hopeless romantic," Puck replied. "The moment she found out, she was determined to make sure that you were utterly, completely surprised."

"That's so sweet," Sabrina said with a laugh, still feeling far too relaxed to do much other than cuddle him. "You're gonna make me fall asleep if you keep that up, ya know."

Puck's hand stilled, shifting up higher on her back. His smile changed into a slow smirk. "We wouldn't want that, I suppose," he murmured.

"I like sleeping--and yes I mean actual sleeping, you pervert--with you," Sabrina murmured. "I feel comfortable. I haven't even had a nightmare in forever."

"Really?" He hugged her suddenly, nuzzling her hair. "That's great! You know that's one of my goals in life, don't you? To make sure that you're comfortable and at ease with me?"

"You made a goal for that?" she laughed. "When would you make that goal?"

"Oh, awhile ago," he replied offhandedly. "It's a good goal, isn't it? After all, if you're going to be my bride and queen, then you should be comfortable and at ease with me."

"Queen?" Sabrina suddenly yelped, yanking back and staring at him.

He tilted his head to one side. "Well, yeah," he said. "I _am _the Trickster King after all, aren't I? Not to mention my dad's heir again."

"I...well..." Sabrina looked flustered. "I didn't think about that. You don't think I'll ever have to be Queen of Faerie do you?"

"If anything happens to my dad again, and I have to take his place," Puck said with a nod. "Not that I'm expecting anything to. The old man's planning a nice long future."

"That's good. I have no idea how to be a queen," Sabrina said, shuddering.

"There isn't really a how-to manual, I don't think," Puck said. He kissed her forehead. "Anyway, first you can be the Trickster Queen. And the only requirement for _that_ is being yourself."

"Do we have to tell people I'm the 'Trickster Queen'?" Sabrina joked.

"You don't like the title?" Puck asked with a grin. His eyes were gleaming impishly.

She scowled at him. "That grin better mean you're going to go ahead and NOT call me that because you love me and you know it would annoy me."

"Well, I definitely do love you," Puck said. "Even when you're scowling at me." He placed his finger lightly against her lips.

Her scowl softened just a little, and she kissed his finger. "Don't make me bite you."

"What if I like it?" It was obvious now that he was teasing her again, and rather enjoying himself.

She rolled her eyes in response. Then promptly bit him in a playful way on his finger.

Puck grinned. "Now you're just teasing me," he said, dropping his voice to a tone that could melt butter.

Sabrina's cheeks flared bright red at his tone, and the implication of what he'd said versus what she'd done. She pulled back, embarrassed. "That was meant to get you to stop," she whispered.

"You ought to know by now that there isn't much that can get me to stop until I do," Puck said with a smile. "But don't worry. I play nice...unless you want me to do otherwise."

"Pervert," she said again, moving back into his arms to snuggle him. "It's so warm and comfy right now... let's just stay like this, okay?"

Puck nodded. "Sure thing," he said with a smile. "However long you want."

"I love you, fairyboy," she teased, closing her eyes.

"I love you, too, Grimm," Puck murmured, kissing her temple.

She fell asleep with a smile on her face, tucked safely under her cozy blanket in her fiancé's arms.

Puck looked down at her quietly, his eyes gentle, their color soft. He hugged her close, kissing the top of her head with gentle affection. "I love you," he murmured again, his voice gentle and soft as well. "Forever." He'd never felt more content than he was with her - and he was sure no one else would ever give him that feeling.

***.*.*.*.***

"Should someone wake them up for Christmas dinner?" Kerdy couldn't help but joke. Puck and Sabrina had been gone for over two hours, and when Jake had suggested they were 'celebrating', Henry had blown up and sent Daphne to check on them. She'd delivered the news to placate him, that Sabrina and Puck were just sleeping in the tree house.

"They'll wake up," Veronica said. "We'll be done cooking in a few hours, and if they're not awake again, the smell should rouse Puck."

"Pak," Cory echoed from near Kerdy's feet. He was trying to collect more things to give to Cassia. He'd already tried giving her his sister. Daphne had thankfully played along.

Daphne smiled, holding Cassia on her lap and letting the little girl play with the end of her ponytail. "Just one whiff of it and they definitely will be down," she said with a nod. "She might even be sleeping when they come down still."

"She punches him when he does stuff like that," Kerdy said warily. Red laughed in response, tucking her black hair behind her ear.

"Do you remember how every time she felt threatened and woke up without knowing she was safe, she'd try to punch Puck in the face?" Kerdy continued, grinning.

"I remember the time she woke up and the Future Puck blocked the punch because he expected it," Red chimed in, giggling a little.

"I wonder when our Puck will get to the point where he can block her punches," Daphne said thoughtfully, tilting her head up slightly.

"Judging from what _I've _seen of him?" Forse chuckled. "Not for quite awhile."

"When do you think they'll get married?" Red asked, looking over to Daphne.

"Mm." Daphne thought for a moment. "Knowing Sabrina they'll probably wait until she's eighteen. That sounds like something she'd do."

"What age do you want to get married at?" Red asked Daphne innocently.

Kerdy choked on the candy cane he'd allowed Cory to give him.

Daphne blushed as Forse tried to hold back his snicker when he saw his brother's reaction. "Well, um...I haven't really thought about it."

"I bet helping your sister plan her wedding will really make you think about it. We should help her with a dress," Red said with a smile.

"Kerby go boom!" Cory yelped, seeing Kerdy struggling not to cough again. "Kerby!"

Daphne blushed deeper, and then looked over at Kerdy. "Kerdy!" she yelped.

"Kerby!" Cassia yelped in perfect imitation.

Forse jumped to his feet and patted his brother on the back. "Don't _inhale_ the candy cane," he said.

Kerdy coughed loudly, finally getting a chance to breathe. "Thanks," he croaked. "If I'm ever dying Forse, remind me to take my time so you can help me."

Red giggled. "You weren't in any real danger."

"Red's right, that's the only reason I didn't jump in at first." Forse ruffled Kerdy's hair. "You know that if you were _really_ dying, I'd jump right in there."

"Sure," Kerdy said, looking embarrassed. He swatted at his older brother's hand. "You're just jealous that I have a girlfriend and you don't."

"I could have a girlfriend at any time if I wanted," Forse corrected him. "But you know I'm waiting for the right one."

"Yeah right," Kerdy snorted. "And when is the right one going to come around?"

Forse smiled almost mysteriously. "I might have already found her," he said. "But I need to approach it carefully. One step at a time."

Red glanced over again, then turned to Daphne. "Do you think you'll be a bridesmaid or the flower girl?" she asked curiously.

"Being a flower girl would be cute, but I think I'm old enough that I'll probably be a bridesmaid," Daphne replied. She looked at Cassia. "I bet Cassia would make an adorable flower girl."

"And if Cory carries the ring, it'd be adorable for them to walk down the aisle togeth-"

William was abruptly there, holding Cory up by the back of his pajamas and glaring into his little face.

Cory blinked up at William, and then did the most logical thing he could. He leaned in and kissed him, slobbering candy cane onto William's face.

"UGH"

"...er," Red finished.

Cassia looked up at her father and Cory with wide eyes - and she looked rather indignant. "TISS!" She didn't want Cory kissing her daddy; she wanted Cory-kisses to herself!

Snow couldn't help but laugh, looking at her husband with affection. "I wonder if that's his way of agreeing to have you for a father-in-law someday," she teased William.

"Snow, so help me I will move us to the other side of the world," William swore, wiping his mouth off and putting Cory back down. The little boy was oblivious to just how annoyed William was with him. He assumed everyone adored him.

Snow rose from her seat and walked over to William, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him from behind. "But then Cassia would be sad at you, Billy," she said. And Cassia was excellent at pouring on the guilt when she was sad.

William scowled. He looked to Forse. "Run away."

He looked to Kerdy. "Get out while you can."

Then he turned in Snow's arms, pulling her close and smiling, scowl melting away. He really couldn't help it. He was a total slave to love.

Snow closed her eyes and promptly cuddled into William's chest, making the moment rise in the aww-factor. It was obvious from the contented look on her face that she was just as much in love with her husband as he was with her.

Kerdy smiled. "With all due respect sir, I don't mind being whipped."

William scowled again briefly, but he tucked Snow into his arms and kissed her hair.

Forse chuckled. "And I'm hoping to end up that way," he added.

Daphne blushed and looked at Kerdy shyly. She didn't know if she really had him whipped or not, but every time he saw something sweet like that it made her shy.

Kerdy moved to sit beside Daphne, picking Cassia up. "And don't you want to find someone like your daddy who'll do anything to make you happy, sweetie?" he cooed at her.

Cory scowled at Kerdy, toddling over and climbing into his lap. "My Cassa," he told the other boy.

Cassia beamed up at Kerdy, then looked at Cory. She pointed at him. "Happy!" she said with another bright, brilliant smile.

Kerdy laughed, setting her in his lap so she could reach Cory. The little boy immediately wrapped his arms around her, which caused him to lose his balance and fall onto the floor with her on top. Neither baby was hurt.

Cassia cooed and snuggled Cory, hugging him happily so that her head was tucked under his. She looked the picture of baby-contentment.

It wasn't long before people were gathered into the kitchen for Christmas dinner. Though Titania and Oberon had left early, everyone else was still there when Puck dragged Sabrina into the dining room to eat.

Sabrina was still rubbing her eyes sleepily, hair a bit fuzzy from the fleece blanket she had wrapped around her, but Puck seemed wide-awake.

"I knew the smell would get them down here," Veronica joked, placing the last dish on the table. Forse, Red, Daphne, and Kerdy had helped her with most of it, and then Gerda had remarked that her sons were such 'little gentlemen'.

"I'mawake," Sabrina said, slurring a bit as she yawned. "What time's it?"

"Time to eat," Daphne said, giving her sister a smile. She hurried over to take her hand. "Come on. You'll sit near me - Puck can sit on your other side." The sheer contrast of how chipper Daphne was compared with how sleepy Sabrina looked at near comical to everyone in the room.

"Urgh..." Sabrina nearly tripped, rubbing her eyes again. "Kay, I'm going I'm going..."

Kerdy chuckled. "Sorry, Sabrina. She's too excited for your wedding, and she's had a lot of hot chocolate today."

"We've already looked at designs for your dress," Red said cheerfully. "Also, Cory decided he wants to be the flower girl, and Cassia wants to carry the rings."

"...What?" Sabrina blinked at Red.

"They both liked the pictures in the magazine, but Cory seemed to like the dress," Kerdy clarified.

Cory looked up, confused from hearing hid name so many times. Then he giggled and looked to Cassia, oblivious.

Cassia giggled back at Cory, then sniffed the air, her little nose wriggling a touch. She could smell delicious food, and was already planning on giving her daddy her best smile to get to try some even if she was supposedly too young to eat it.

"You don't mind, do you?" Daphne asked. "That we were talking about the wedding? Red and I just thought you'd want to start planning early even if you wait awhile. Of course if you want a different design from what we like that's up to you because it's your dress, but..."

"Whoa, marshmallow," Puck said with a grin. "I don't know if Sabrina's awake enough to follow what you're saying."

"My head," Sabrina groaned, feigning exasperation at her sister. She sat down and brushed her hair back. "It's okay. We'll have a while to go over plans and designs. Puck and I are waiting until I turn eighteen at least--we might wait longer."

Veronica shot Henry a 'thank goodness' look, while William got started mashing up whatever food Snow approved of for Cassia.

Henry looked vastly relieved - as much as he was supporting Puck and Sabrina's marriage, he was still not ready for his little girl to actually be married. He still had a hard time with Daphne being old enough for a boyfriend, and they'd known Kerdy for years.

Puck grinned as he took his seat, deciding it was a great accomplishment that Henry didn't look like he was going to pass out at the thought of him marrying Sabrina.

"Okay," Daphne said with a smile, pulling out her own chair. "Kerdy, you'll sit next to me, right? And Red, you can sit across so that we can talk during dinner." Clearly, she'd been thinking about seating arrangements.

Relda gave a soft, affectionate laugh. "Is there ever a moment when that brain of yours isn't thinking up things?" she asked Daphne.

Daphne blinked. "No?"

Sabrina couldn't help but laugh at that. Everyone sat the way Daphne wanted them to. This led to Forse being across from Kerdy and next to Red, with Mustardseed on Red's other side. The formerly insane Everafter didn't seem to have a problem sitting between two very attractive boys.

Veronica gave Mr. Canis a pat on the shoulder in sympathy. It looked like Red was ready to start growing up.

Mr. Canis barely managed to swallow the growl that was rising up - particularly since neither Forse nor Mustardseed seemed to be having a problem sitting next to Red, either. He held his tongue, though, and scowled only slightly.

"I guess the parents will sit on this end of the table, then," Henry said with a raised eyebrow as he tried to get Cory situated at the table. Cassia was being a perfect angel for her parents, of course.

"The older they get the further away they sit," Kai said mournfully, causing Forse to roll his eyes in his father's direction.

Gerda clasped her hands in front of her. "Darling," she said, looking to Kai. "Let's make another!"

Kerdy choked on his drink. "MOM! Come on, we're sitting right here! Gross!"

Gerda didn't seem to hear him, gazing at Kai with the full force of her affection and love. Cory thought it was amusing, laughing and flailing at the sight of Kerdy choking and blushing.

Kai turned to Gerda and pulled her into his arms, much to the horror of both of their present sons. "Maybe this time we'll get a little girl," he said with a smile. "A miniature version of you."

Daphne beamed, and looked at Kerdy. "You wouldn't be the youngest anymore, Kerdy," she said to him.

"I'd rather have a little brother to toss around," Kerdy griped, trying not to watch his parents make lovey-dovey eyes at each other. "But do they have to do that _right there?"_"I think it's sweet," Sabrina said, grinning at Kerdy.

Red looked Gerda and Kai for a moment, expression unreadable.

Forse turned away from his parents so that he didn't have to see the mushiness either, and noticed Red watching them. "Something on your mind?" he asked her with a smile.

"O-oh, nothing," Red murmured, looking down at her plate quickly.

"My parents aren't embarrassing you, are they?" Forse murmured, keeping his voice low. "They get like this sometimes."

"I think it's wonderful," Red murmured. "It kinda feels like everyone's in love, ya know? I wonder what it's like."

"Don't go rushing it," Sabrina advised, hearing them. "It'll happen when it happens. And hopefully it'll hit you like a truck and take you by surprise."

Kerdy smiled over at her, then nodded to Red. "Agreed."

Daphne nodded, too, darting a look over at Kerdy and blushing a little. "The important thing is that you find your special person, not how long it takes to find them," she said, and then promptly felt rather shy for saying it in front of Kerdy.

"Besides," Sabrina continued. "No need to rush anything. You're still young."

"I could grow up," Red challenged, looking very petulant for a moment.

"But you shouldn't force it," Sabrina said again. "It'll happen, Red."

The younger girl sighed. She was already older than she had been before--they were right. Why rush it?

"One of the nice things about being an Everafter," Mustardseed said with a smile as he looked at Red, "is that we can be patient with our time." Forse nodded in agreement, but Puck couldn't resist teasing his brother.

"This from the guy who consistently told me to grow up over the last several hundred years?" Puck asked with a grin.

"I was tired of looking older than my older brother," Mustardseed said with a shake of his head.

"You're the exception," Sabrina said, shoving Puck gently. "You REALLY needed to grow up, fairyboy."

"Hey, it's a good thing I didn't grow up sooner," Puck chided her. "Or I would have been older than you when we met." He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss.

Sabrina blushed. "And maybe I wouldn't have despised you at first. I hope you know I had a crush on your brother when I saw him. It's just a good thing you annoyed me so much that I couldn't forget about you." She stuck her tongue out at him.

"You had a crush on me?" Mustardseed asked in surprise, as if this were a new revelation for him.

Sabrina laughed nervously. "Eheheh...heh...eh..." She suddenly found her plate to be _very _interesting.

Puck scowled. "Hopefully not for very long," he said. "Right?" He looked at Sabrina closely. "Right?"

"Gimme a break!" Sabrina squeaked. "Besides, you were annoying the ever-loving crap out of me in a cocoon at the time!"

Daphne suddenly started laughing. "I remember that!" she exclaimed. "Puck's cocoon was adorable, he followed you around like a puppy."

Puck's face turned scarlet.

"I remember the smell," Sabrina said with a scowl. "Never get your wings ripped off again, got it, Fairyboy? I never want to have your cocoon glued to my face. Ever again."

"Trust me, it's _not_ on my list of things to do again. Ever again." Puck gave a shudder at the memory, and his wings ached in sympathy.

"We're ready to eat now," Veronica interrupted them.

"Kay," Sabrina turned to smile at her family. Another wonderful Christmas with her family--another perfect memory, with the promise of many more to come.

What more could she ask for?

***.*.*.*.*Roughly one year and one month later ^_^*.*.*.*.***

"Ow... ow... ow... OW. Daphne, my scalp is under there!"

Cory stared, wide-eyed up at his sisters. Ever since his oldest sister had turned seventeen the previous month, his other sister had been fussing about wedding plans. He had very vague memories of the prior year, when his hero had proposed. It had been like every Christmas he'd ever had, surrounded by friends and family.

The previous Christmas had been fun too--no one had surprise proposals, but he'd gotten to play with Cassia.

His attention went to Sabrina then, as she swatted Daphne's hand and scowled. Her hair was up in pins and curls, white roses woven in. Daphne was currently tugging and stabbing with the bobby pins while they tried to decide on a hairstyle for the wedding.

Daphne grimaced as she adjusted one of the bobby pins and the position of the hair it was holding in place. "Sorry Sabrina," she said apologetically. "You've got great hair usually, but right now it just isn't cooperating."

"Am I gonna have any left by the time you're done?" Sabrina griped. "Jeez!"

"You'll have hair left, I promise," Daphne said with a nod. "Trust me, Sabrina, I know what I'm doing. I've been practicing." She looked in the mirror and smiled at her sister.

Sabrina rolled her eyes, looking to her reflection in the mirror. She had to admit, it looked really good. "Just take it easy. I'm losing sensitivity here."

Cory pushed himself up, butt first, then toddled over to Sabrina and Daphne, putting his hands on Sabrina's legs while she sat. "Sabwina?" he asked. "Where can my Pak be?"

"Puck's out with Kerdy," Sabrina answered. "They're bringing home ties for me to look at."

"Tie?" Cory echoed. "Hm." He scrunched his little nose up, his own hair starting to curl a bit on his fuzzy head.

Daphne melted as she looked at their little brother. "Cory," she said, "I swear you get cuter every time I see you." And considering that she saw him multiple times every day, that was saying something.

Cory giggled. "Daphwe," he said, beaming up on her. "I's love you!"

"My god, he really does get cuter," Sabrina said with a laugh.

"I have to pause doing your hair for a minute, Sabrina," Daphne said, setting down her brush. She moved around the chair and knelt down, hugging Cory tightly and nuzzling the top of his head. "I love you, too, Cory."

Cory latched on and giggled. "Me hair?" he chirped, reaching up to grab fistfuls of Daphne's hair.

Daphne laughed. "Your hair?" she teased, not trying to get him to let go. Her hair was long enough that he could hold onto it and there was leeway.  
Cory snuggled her.

"I think he wants to do your hair," Sabrina laughed, getting up and fingering one of the curls that fell over her face.

Daphne smiled. She knew very well that her hair would be a mess when Cory was done, but she couldn't say no. "All right," she said, kissing the top of Cory's head.

"I think I need a break anyway," Sabrina said. "Plus you were almost done anyway, right?"

Daphne nodded slightly. "Yeah," she said. "Sorry - I promise next time I'll be more careful with the pins."

"S'all good. No pain no gain," Sabrina murmured, fiddling with a bit of her hair. She'd never seen it so fancy before.

Cory immediately stood on the chair when Daphne was sitting, balancing by holding onto her shirt and collar. He started fluffing up her hair, having no idea exactly how to do it.

Daphne smiled, her hands hovering in position to catch Cory if he lost his balance. "Do you like it?" she asked Sabrina a little shyly. She'd been practicing hard with hair and make-up so that she could help Sabrina prepare for her wedding.

"Yeah--dunno if it's how I wanna go for my wedding, but it's pretty," Sabrina commented. "Maybe I'll wear my hair this way for prom instead. I'll have to see what Puck thinks. He's never seen it fancy except when Uncle Jake and Briar got married."

Her hair had been up in a tight bun then, with free locks framing her cheeks. Now it was piled in ringlets and curls, the white roses blooming in a crown shape around her head. The free pieces were springy around her cheeks and forehead.

Daphne smiled. "We'll keep trying different styles until we find the perfect one for your wedding," she said. "And I bet Puck will absolutely love it. He might be snarky about it sometimes, but he loves it when you dress up."

Sabrina stuck her tongue out. "He better not get used to it or anything. Dressing up is your thing, not mine."

Cory yelped. "Oh... Bwush," he said, trying to locate the thing that he knew made his sisters' hair shiny and pretty.

Daphne blushed, as she reached over and moved the brush within Cory's reach so that he could find it and pick it up. "Are you looking forward to your prom?" she asked.

"Still a year off," Sabrina murmured. "And he hasn't asked me to go with him. We don't go to any school dances, so I don't know if he even wants to go. You and Kerdy go to every weekender and every Snowball," she joked.

"He'll ask you," Daphne said with confidence. "He'll make the one that counts count. You only have one prom."

Sabrina grinned, then struck a pose. "How do I look?" She had on her baggy pajama pants and an old 'I heart Puck' t-shirt that fit her form. Complete with her fancy hairdo, it was a cute image.

"PWITTY!" Cory piped up. He'd lost the brush somewhere in Daphne's hair.

Daphne giggled, her eyes sparkling. "You look adorable," she said. She, on the other hand, had a brush sticking out of her hair, and the hairs that weren't attached to it were mussed and all over the place.

"I'm gonna go see if they're back, then," Sabrina said, heading downstairs with a wave.

Kerdy and Puck were indeed back--they had gone to the living room to sort through different green ties. Kerdy was so absorbed in his work that he didn't notice Sabrina.

Puck held one of the ties up between index finger and thumb, a look of distaste on his face. "Is this _really_ a shade of green?" he asked, his back towards the entrance to the living room. "Really? I think we need another opinion."

"Well we're trying to match her wings, right?" Kerdy asked. "Your colors were emerald green and silver, yeah?"

"Yep," Sabrina said. "And you both fail. That's not green." She was leaning in the doorway, an amused smirk on her lips.

"Hah, I knew it!" Puck said in satisfaction at the confirmation that the tie he was holding was _not_ green. He turned in his seat with a grin. "Thanks..."

His voice trailed off, his eyes widening when he saw her.

"Daphne was fixing my hair up," Sabrina said. "I don't know when I'll regain feeling in my head."

"Looks good," Kerdy said, turning fully to her and grinning. "She upstairs still?"

"Yep. Getting a Cory makeover. What do you think--too curly?"

Puck jumped up to his feet, spinning around so that he could see her clearly. He had a grin on his face. "Looks good," he said, walking over to her. He reached out and caught one of the curls, twirling it around his finger. "Bouncy."

"Yeah, not sure I like the bouncy," she joked, swatting at his hand. "Plus it was a nightmare getting it done."

"So I might not get to see it like this very often?" Puck asked, grinning.

"Try ever again unless you ask me to prom," Sabrina joked, hugging him. "Do you even want to know how many pins are sticking into my head right now?"

"Not really," Puck said with a grin."I prefer to remain ignorant to the pain and torture that goes into making someone look beautiful." He wrapped his arms around her, tugging her close.

"Oh, so now I only look beautiful with my hair up?" she asked dryly, snuggling.

"_More_ beautiful," Puck promptly corrected himself.

"Psh. Okay, I'll let that one go," Sabrina joked.

Puck chuckled, tucking her head underneath his chin. "Love the shirt, by the way," he said. "I didn't know you still had that."

"I still have ten. I just don't wear them often because I don't like looking like a total dork. Watch the roses," she teased, closing her eyes.

"I don't think you look like a dork," Puck replied with a smile."That's one of my favorite outfits on you."

"Wonder why," she laughed to herself, then pulled back enough to kiss him on the lips. "So really, why all the ties? You couldn't decide or something?"

Puck made a face. "The clerks at the clothing store kept hovering," he said. "Kerdy and I decided it'd be better to just grab what we could and figure it out later."

"Good thing your daddy's rich," she teased, pulling back and walking over to Kerdy. She ruffled his hair. "Hey there, little-brother-in-law-someday."

"I despise that," Kerdy informed her, fixing his hair. "I'm older than you."

"Not right now ya aren't--how goes your progress on getting Daphne to drop the name 'Kerdy Jr.'?"

Kerdy made another face. "She keeps thinking I'm sad about my name and strengthening her resolve! I can't do anything!"

Sabrina laughed again. "Poor baby."

"Exactly _how_ did she get that into her head, anyway?" Puck asked. "I always wondered that. What'd you do to make her think you were sad about it?"

"I told her it was a bad name idea and everyone would make fun of it!" Kerdy yelped defensively.

Sabrina shook her head. "Big mistake. Just be honest and tell her you don't want that name and she'll listen."

Kerdy drooped. "But she looks so happy when she talks about it..."

"Whipped. Completely and utterly whipped."

"Kerdy, I'm only going to say this once," Puck said, looking at him, "and if you tell anyone I said this, I'll deny it left and right. It's not the name that Daphne's happy about - it's the idea of making _you_ happy that she's happy about."

"Really?" Kerdy asked, lifting his head.

"Yeah," Sabrina confirmed, shaking her head at him.

"If you tell her naming the kid Kerdy Jr. will make you unhappy, I guarantee that she'll spaz out and demand to know what would make you happy," Puck said. "That's just the way she is."

"Go tell her," Sabrina urged. "I'll show Puck the right ties. Because really, the wedding's for me, not us." She stuck her tongue out at Puck.

"Awww, how can you say that?" Puck asked, his arm going around her waist as he leaned in to nuzzle her neck.

"You know it's true," Sabrina said with a grin. "You'd wear pink to the wedding if I wanted you to."

"Ah. I get it now," Kerdy chuckled. "You're right, Puck. Thanks guys, I'll go talk to her."

He shoved his hands in his pockets and headed for the stairs.

"Good luck, Kerdy." Then Puck made a face. "Pink. You wouldn't really make me wear that, would you? I mean, I know my wings are pink and all, but that's pushing a little much isn't it?"

"Better keep me in a good mood 'til the wedding then," Sabrina murmured, turning and leaning in to kiss him. "What do you think about maybe August after I turn eighteen next year?" Sabrina asked. "Seems like a good time, and I'll almost be nineteen by then."

"It's fine with me," Puck murmured, his voice low. "I thought you'd prefer a spring wedding, but fall works just as well."

"Why do you think I'd want a spring wedding?" Sabrina murmured back, relaxing in his arms.

Suddenly Puck's face turned red, and he tried to hide it by nuzzling her neck again. "Uh...no reason."

"Not getting off that easy," she said, pulling back and turning fully in his arms. "Answer me, Fairyboy."

His face turned even more red, but he knew that she was right - he wasn't getting off that easy. "I...erm..." He glanced away. "Readabook."

"What book?" she pressed, studying his expression and enjoying how embarrassed he was.

He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. "....weddingbook."

"A wedding book?" she echoed. "...Where did you get a wedding book?"

His voice dropped even lower and he still wouldn't look at her. "....Daphne."

"..." Sabrina let go of him, holding her stomach as she burst into laughter. She couldn't help it.

"It's not funny!" Puck protested, looking at her suddenly. "I just...I didn't know much about weddings...Daphne had four or five, she said she'd loan me one..."

Sabrina hit her knees, unable to stop it. Soon she was rolling on the ground. When she finally did catch her breath, she rolled onto her back and grinned up at him. "Come down here."

Puck gave a half-scowl, half-pout, and knelt down next to her. "Is it really that funny?" he asked, leaning over her.

She tugged him down so she could kiss him, not caring that they were on the floor. "I think it's incredibly sweet," she said when the kiss broke.

When he pulled back to look down at her again, he was still blushing furiously. "You do?"

"Yeah," Sabrina promised, eyes twinkling. "I'm charmed. I think in light of this news, I'll write back to Peter and tell him not to visit this Christmas. He was thinking of surprising you."

Instantly Puck blanched. "He...what...why...what kind of Christmas did you want me to have?" He gave her his best teary-eyed expression.

"I thought it'd be fun. But you just talked me out of it by being romantic and thoughtful, so kiss me before I change my mind," Sabrina murmured, stroking some of his hair back from his cheek.

Puck didn't need a second invitation - he smiled and leaned down, covering her mouth with his own and giving everything he had into the kiss.

Sabrina wrapped both arms around him, one hand sliding up into his hair as they kissed. She was perfectly content to lie on the ground with him leaning over her. They forgot all about the ties.

***.*.*.*.***

"Knock knock," Kerdy said, smiling from the doorway. Cory was trying to locate the brush, which had vanished very expertly into Daphne's thick hair.

Cory turned and looked to Kerdy, eyes very large. "FIX IT!" he wailed, suddenly bursting into tears.

Daphne turned to look at Kerdy, a smile on her face when she saw him. She passed over a greeting, however, to explain. "Cory lost the brush somewhere in my hair...I'm not even sure where it is."

"I'll fix it," Kerdy reassured Cory, walking over and putting a hand on his head. "Smile pretty for Daphne, okay?"

Cory whimpered. How could he smile when he'd lost the brush and messed it up?

"Daphne loves seeing you smile," Kerdy prompted.

"!" Cory stared up at Daphne, forgetting briefly how to smile. He quickly rubbed at his eyes, then offered a sheepish little grin, shyly staring at his sister while Kerdy started to untangle her hair.

Daphne melted again, and gave Cory a smile of her own in return. "I do love seeing you smile, Cory," she said brightly. "Don't worry. Kerdy will find the brush."

Cory hugged Daphne tightly, clinging to her chest. If she said it would happen, he could believe it would.

"He's so adorable," Kerdy commented, removing a piece of tape. How had tape gotten into Daphne's hair? No one would ever know.

"I know, isn't he?" Daphne kissed the top of Cory's head, cuddling him. "Thanks, Kerdy. How did shopping with Puck go?"

"Well, he got intimidated by some salesgirls and basically grabbed everything that could be considered green--and some that couldn't," Kerdy said with a small laugh. "Sabrina's down there now, picking the tie."

"I had a feeling something like that might happen," Daphne said with a laugh. "Oh, well. He can afford it. What did he think of Sabrina's hair?"

"He definitely liked it. You did a great job," Kerdy murmured. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "This is going to hurt, Princess. Sorry."

"I'll be fine," Daphne assured him, bracing herself for whatever he needed to do.

Kerdy pressed another kiss to the top of her head, then began unrolling the brush from Daphne's baby hairs as gently as possible. It had been near the nape of her neck, where the very sensitive hair was. As gentle as he was, he couldn't stop it from hurting.

Daphne let out a little yelp, and then nuzzled Cory to try and distract herself. She kissed Cory's baby-soft hair. "Almost done?"

"Few more minutes," Kerdy promised. The brush finally came free with a gentle snag, and then he was brushing her hair to smooth it back into shape, being careful. "All better now, Cory."

Cory lifted his face from Daphne's chest, gasping when he saw the brush. "BWUSH! You founded!" his eyes lit up, and he started to giggle.

Daphne smiled - the back of her neck ached a little from where the hairs had been tugged, but it'd go away soon enough. "Our hero," she said in a teasing tone to Kerdy, her eyes sparkling.

Kerdy blushed. He coughed awkwardly, then smiled down at Daphne. "So... I wanted to talk to you about something."

"HEEEWO!" Cory echoed.

Daphne smiled affectionately at Cory, and then looked back to Kerdy. "You did?" she asked. "What is it?"

Kerdy's expression was soft. "Well... when the day comes and we, ya know... start a family..."

Her eyes lit up. She loved whenever Kerdy brought up the future, and hearing him talk about how their future would be together. She smiled expectantly, waiting for him to continue.

"It would make me really happy if we didn't use the name 'Kerdy Jr.'," Kerdy murmured, no longer hesitant when he saw the look on her face.

Daphne blinked in surprise. "Really?" she asked. It was the first time he'd said that it would make him happy _not_ to use it.

He looked down at her, smiling sheepishly. "I've been telling you how much I hate my name to try to discourage you from it. Puck and Sabrina said I should just be honest and tell you that I didn't want that name for a kid. I'd rather we picked a name together."

"Really?" Daphne repeated, blinking again. For a moment, it seemed hard to tell how she'd react. "Then why didn't you..."

She paused, tilting her head to one side. "Were you not telling me because you didn't want to make me unhappy?"

He grinned again, blushing. "Well, I can't really deny you anything. You know that. If you still want to use that name, you know I'd never stop you."

Daphne shook her head. "If you really don't want us to, if you really want us to pick a name together, then of course we will!" She looked at him with love in her eyes. "Any children we have will be our children, not just mine and not just yours."

Kerdy's cheeks were bright red now. Why did they keep talking about kids they were going to have someday? It was so embarrassing! "Agreed," he managed to say, voice a bit higher pitched. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, then straightened. "Let's go check on your sister."

Daphne nodded, moving to stand with Cory still in her arms. "Want to go see Sabrina, Cory?" she asked, looking down at her brother.

Cory nodded, taking a handful of Daphne's now-smooth hair and shoving it into his mouth. "An my Pak," he decided.

"Yes, and your Puck," Daphne said in agreement. She looked at Kerdy shyly, smiling at him. She was blushing a touch, her cheeks tinged pink.

Kerdy tucked some hair behind her ear, then headed out so she wouldn't see the ridiculously sappy look on his face.

They reached the room right as Veronica and Henry did--in time to see Sabrina pulling Puck's shirt up, with the intent to get it off of him the moment their kiss broke.

"Working hard?" Veronica asked dryly.

Sabrina yelped, breaking the kiss with a start and accidentally knocking her forehead to Puck's. It caused him to bite down on her lower lip.

"Ack!" Puck's eyes widened, pulling back from Sabrina after he accidentally bit her lip. "Sabrina, are you okay?" Even though Henry was glaring furious daggers at Puck's back, his immediate concern was to make sure she wasn't hurt.

Sabrina had one hand on her forehead, the other going to her lip. "Crap, I think I'm bleeding," she said, muffled.

"Don't we have rules about this kind of thing?" Veronica asked dryly.

"I'm gonna marry him!" Sabrina protested.

"'Going to' is the important part of that statement," Henry said, an edge to his voice. "You aren't married yet."

Puck reached for a tissue and handed it to Sabrina for her lip. "We weren't doing anything wrong, just kissing," he said.

Sabrina took the tissue and sat up, pressing it to her lower lip. When she pulled it back, it was a little red. "Gosh darn it."

Kerdy couldn't help but snicker.

"Daddy," Sabrina said in her best 'daddy's little angel' voice. "Puck and I are seventeen, planning our wedding, and very mature. Daphne and Kerdy are way younger and were upstairs in my room talking about their future kids."

Kerdy turned bright red.

Daphne's eyes widened, and she gave her sister a horrified 'why are you doing this' look?

Henry reacted as expected. He turned to look at Kerdy and Daphne. "You were talking about children?" he asked with narrowed eyes.

"Whoa!" Kerdy jumped. "Sir, you can't kill me! I uh--I have your son!" He plucked Cory from Daphne's arms.

"...Teehee," Cory kicked his little feet. "Kerby," he said. "We maka baby too?"

"..." Kerdy looked like he wanted to sink into the ground.

Laughter snorted from Puck before he could stop himself, and Daphne felt mortified.

"Nobody is making a baby," Henry said firmly. "Not for another ten years! At least!"

Cory looked thoughtful. He tilted his head up to look at poor Kerdy, flopping backwards a bit. "Kerby," he said. "No maka baby wif my Daphwe 'til I'm big boy."

"OKAY!" Kerdy said. "I HAVE. HOMEWORK!" He held Cory back to Daphne, looking ready to run. "PLACE. HOME!"

"You are _not_ going to just go and leave me here!" Daphne exclaimed, but because she was hugging Cory there was nothing she could do to stop him.

Veronica sighed. "Kerdy, go to the car and get the groceries. Puck, you go help. Sabrina, go fix your face."

Sabrina grumbled, getting up.

"And cute hair."

"Thanks mom," Sabrina muttered into her tissue.

Puck knew that this was the best deal he was going to get, and he stood up as well. He brushed his hand against Sabrina's arm, then sighed. "Come on, Kerdy," he said. This was the best chance both of them had to get out of Henry's glare.

Kerdy drooped, following Puck with a solemn look to hide his embarrassment.

Daphne couldn't look at anyone in the eye, her face bright red. Her relationship with Kerdy was still pretty innocent, and she was easily embarrassed when teased about it - or when Henry got overprotective.

Once they'd gotten outside, Puck clasped Kerdy's shoulder. "You okay?"

"I'm going to die," Kerdy groaned. "It's not like I've even thought about--you know! It's not even like that."

He drooped again.

"Hey, you saw it - I go through the same thing, I know how you feel," Puck replied. "Hang in there, Kerdy."

"But Daphne's the younger sister," Kerdy griped. "And about twenty years behind in maturity to her sister. You'd think I was some pervy old guy kidnapping her with the way her dad glares at me."

"Daphne is always going to be her daddy's little girl," Puck said. "The question is, is she worth it to you to put up with her father?"

"Of course she is," Kerdy shoved his hand through his hair. "Just wish sometimes that it wasn't so awkward."

Puck looked at him for a moment. "You have Daphne have been together for awhile," he said. "How...far has your relationship gone?"

"We've kissed about... fourteen times," Kerdy said, looking thoughtful. "That's it. And uh... Twice with tongue."

Puck stared at Kerdy. "...seriously?" he asked. "I would have thought you'd at least be at the touching stage by now. The two of you are always together."

"I-I've touched her hip," Kerdy blurted out. "But she had fleece pajamas on! So it wasn't inappropriate."

Puck kept staring. "And she hasn't given any indication that she wants more?"

"Dude," Kerdy said, blushing deeply. "We're physically like, thirteen! We're not into the crazy stuff you and Sabrina did when you were twelve!"

"Yeah, but with the way Daphne keeps mentioning your future kids..." Puck shrugged. "I guess I just figured you'd done more than kiss."

"We're not in a hurry to grow up," Kerdy murmured. "We're just having fun being kids right now. I mean, on Valentine's Day, I plan on taking her out for ice cream, and giving her a stuffed teddy bear with chocolates and roses. But that's it--nothing beyond getting to kiss her."

Puck looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well," he said, "I guess the two of you can afford to take your time. When Sabrina was thirteen, I had to keep up with her. But Daphne's an Everafter now, same as you."

"Do you have any Valentine's Day plans?" Kerdy asked.

Puck coughed a little. "Nothing concrete yet," he said. "It's getting harder to come up with something that'll outdo everything else I've done."

"You know girls can be pretty simple," Kerdy said. "She doesn't need anything spectacular."

"Yeah, I know...but still." Puck looked up at the sky for a moment. "I want to do something special for her."

"Idiot," Kerdy grinned. "Did you even see how happy she was that you noticed and liked her hair? She's going to marry you. You don't need to make a spectacle out of everything to keep impressing her. She knows the real you and _loves _you for it."

Puck thought about that for a moment, and then grinned. "She does, doesn't she?" he asked.

"Yeah. So stop trying to outdo yourself every time," Kerdy advised. "Once in a while it's nice, but she'll be happy with just you."

Puck chuckled. "I guess even I can still learn a thing or two," he said. "I'll save the next big thing for prom."

"Good idea," Kerdy grinned again. "She wants to go, even if she doesn't bring it up, ya know. Most girls do."

"That part I managed to figure out," Puck said with a laugh. "It'll give me a chance to get used to a tie _before_ the wedding."

Kerdy laughed. "Sabrina told me she plans on Daphne as her maid of honor and Red as a bridesmaid so far. Then she said it'd be weird having Mustardseed as your best man and me as a regular groomsman. I suggested Forse to escort Red, but then she ran outta girls. Any suggestions?"

Puck frowned slightly. "Hm. Not sure... we're pretty lopsided on guys versus girls, aren't we? Not just for the wedding, but who we know in general."

"Yeah," Kerdy said, pushing his hand through his hair. "I mean, my twin brothers could switch it up and have one wear a dress for kicks, but I doubt many people would appreciate it. Why does Sabrina have to be such a reclusive tomboy?"

"Maybe my mother can suggest someone for Mustardseed to escort." Puck paused. "On second thought, no. I'm keeping my mother as far away from the wedding plans as possible."

"Please. For the love of god," Kerdy pleaded with a shudder. "No need to involve her. She creeps me out."

It took them two trips to get the groceries, while Veronica reclined in the kitchen, grinning at Henry. At least they were putting the kids to work and not being too overbearing.

***.*.*.*.***

"Ow… ow ow ow ow ow ow ow…" Sabrina pulled another pin free, looking into the mirror as she tried to get her hair down. She'd worn the fancy hairstyle for almost two days just to avoid having to remove the pins, but she was out of options now. After all, she needed to shower, and she wasn't wearing a fancy crown of curls and roses to school on that particular Monday morning.

With a yawn, she finally removed the last pin, seeing a cascade of wild curls rain around her shoulders and down her back. "Time to drown this in conditioner and hope it goes flat," she mumbled, turning on the shower. It didn't help that she had a headache. She'd spend all of Sunday night going through her wedding planner again and trying to figure out the best day for the actual event. Scheduling something like that when you had to fly people in from all around the world was a nightmare, and the phone-tag was starting to drive her crazy. She was tempted to just throw the list at Daphne and have the younger, more excited and less irritable Grimm do it.

Unfortunately, right after thinking about that, she had remembered that she wanted people to show up, and Daphne's sunshine attitude would probably alienate several of them. She wasn't even letting Puck see the guest list, so Kerdy was the only one who could help, and he constantly forgot to do anything but spend time with Daphne. Sabrina had gone over his Valentine's Day plans with him many times to ensure it would all be perfect, all the while wanting to beat him over the head with a pillow to drive home the point that Daphne would find _anything _they did to be perfect.

Which made her wonder—did Puck have anything planned? Since they were going to be getting married, people kept saying the romance might flicker out if it hadn't already—that people wouldn't try as hard once they were ready to be in a committed relationship.

"…Nah," Sabrina grinned to herself. Valentine's Day was on the weekend, and she already knew what she was making for Puck. She'd just have to wait and see what he decided to do for her. With that anticipation building up, the week seemed to fly by.

***.*.*.*.***

"Yeah yeah, have fun," Sabrina said, rolling her eyes. Daphne was gushing about the surprise Kerdy had planned for her, unable to contain her excitement even as Kerdy was trying to lead her out the door. Valentine's Day had fallen on a Saturday, and Daphne had awoken to notes and roses that had guided her to dress up and wait. Kerdy had shown up by the time the notes had taken her to the living room, waiting with a teddy bear and chocolates. Now he was trying to get her to the ice cream parlor like he had planned.

Sabrina rolled her eyes again, then sighed when the two finally made it out the door. She was only wearing pajamas, her long golden hair in a low ponytail and slightly messy. Maybe she was just jealous because she and Puck didn't have any romantic plans.

The sound of footsteps on the stairs announced Puck's presence, his hand resting on the banister. "Was that the marshmallow off for the day?" he asked, jumping over the last couple of steps and striding over to Sabrina.

He slipped his arm around her waist and kissed her cheek. "Good morning," he said.

"Morning," she said. "And yep, Kerdy's taking her on their romantic ice cream date. I'm surprised you're awake."

I've been up for awhile," Puck replied. "There were some things I had to take care of. Did you just get up?" He eyed her pajamas.

Sabrina felt her cheeks heating up. Why did he make her blush like that? "No, I've been up for a while. But it's not like I'm going anywhere so I may as well stay in pajamas."

Puck grinned. "Have you had breakfast yet?" he asked. His eyes were sparkling with that clear 'I have thoughts and plans' look on his face.

"Nah. Want me to make us something to eat?" Sabrina asked him, snuggling briefly in his arms. She couldn't quite see his eyes from the angle.

"Nope." Puck shook his head. "I don't want you doing anything you don't want. Breakfast's already waiting - I went to that bagel place you like in Manhattan."

Sabrina raised an eyebrow, turning to look up at him fully. "You're being sweet again. What do you want?" she joked, giving him a quick kiss.

"Want?" Puck grinned. "Hey, this is the one day I don't have to want anything to be sweet. Valentine's Day, remember?"

Sabrina looked at him for several moments, then grinned. "You're actually being sweet to me for Valentine's Day? Aww." She leaned in to give him a quick kiss. "Okay, where's breakfast then?"

"Laid out in the kitchen," Puck said, taking her arm and steering her that way. "I got your favorite bagels, and a few different spreads."

He'd laid out the table for them both - and there was a big sign that said "SABRINA AND PUCK'S BREAKFAST- DO NOT TOUCH OR YE SHALL BE CURSED!"

"..." Sabrina muffled a snort into her hand at the sign, looking to Puck with an amused twinkle in her eyes. "Was the sign necessary?" she teased.

"Hey, I had no way of knowing who was going to get up before you," Puck said. "Just covering all the bases. Like it? I worked hard." He'd drawn little skulls and crossbones all over it.

"It's, uh... charming," Sabrina grinned at him, moving to sit at the table and have him sit next to her.

Puck grinned, knowing full well that she thought just the opposite, and took his seat. "So," he said, "I figured after we eat and you get ready to go out, we could start the day by going to see Celeste."

"That'd be cool," Sabrina murmured, grabbing her favorite cheese and bacon bagel. "It's been a few days since I visited her."

"If you want," Puck said as he reached for a random bagel, not paying attention to what he picked or whether it went well with his selection of cream cheese, "I could borrow a horse at the stable in the park and we could go riding."

"Hm," Sabrina looked thoughtful. "Nah. I don't feel like riding today. I made you some chocolate yesterday though. Not much of a gift, but I made it from scratch."

All at once, Puck couldn't take his eyes off of her. There was no doubt that one of the ways to his heart was through his stomach, and Sabrina knew it. "Chocolate?"

Sabrina grinned at him. "Well, it's the girly thing to do. Make chocolate or buy chocolate for someone, and all that. So I got some advice from mom and made you a batch yesterday while you were sleeping. I was gonna give it to you tonight, but I changed my mind."

"Did you?" Puck gave her a grin. "So when have you decided to give it to me now?"

"When we're done with breakfast," Sabrina replied, taking a bite of her bagel. "Mmm. It's toasty."

"Yeah, I got there when they were making them fresh," Puck said with a grin. He bounced a little in anticipation of chocolate - one of the bonuses about being fey was that you could eat as much chocolate as you wanted and not suffer the consequences.

Sabrina couldn't resist making him wait while she enjoyed breakfast. She knew he still liked junk food and sweets, and watching him trying to wait patiently for promised chocolate was amusing her. Still, she loved him so she didn't make him wait too long, heading up to her room to get the chocolate as soon as she finished.

"Want me to come up with you?" Puck asked, following her to the stairs. "I could come up. Then you wouldn't have to come back down." If he'd been a puppy, his tail would have been wagging.

Sabrina paused on the stairs, laughing. "Okay fine. You can come up. My parents are out right now but if we get in trouble or you bite my lip again, I'm going to kill you."

Puck grinned at her. "I'll be good," he promised. "The only thing I'll bite is chocolate."

"Okay," Sabrina headed up to her room, figuring he'd just follow. She had a big box in one of her drawers, which she pulled out and inspected briefly.

Puck did follow her, and stood casually as he looked around. He didn't get to be in her room nearly as often these days, what with the rules, but he rather liked it. It was very Sabrina.

"Kay," Sabrina turned, holding out the cute box. "Here's the chocolate I made ya. I hope you like it."

Puck reached for it eagerly, undoing the box so that he could get at the sweets inside. "How long did it take you to make?" he asked. "I've never made chocolate."

"You don't wanna know," Sabrina joked, heading over to the couch near her bed and sitting down. Inside the box was an assortment of little heart and cupid-shaped chocolates. "And trust me, if they taste good at all, it's only because mom helped me out."

Puck grinned. "You sell yourself too short," he said. "You're not a bad cook. You've gotten better." And he was an authority on it, because he was the one who usually ate what she cooked.

"You and Cory are the only ones who eat when I cook," Sabrina muttered, rolling her eyes. "Anyway you're killing me here. Try it and tell me if it's good. And if it's bad, lie to me."

Puck selected a small heart-shaped piece of chocolate and popped it into his mouth. He actually took his time with it instead of just swallowing it, so that he could taste it.

Sabrina sat on the edge of the bed, almost scowling as she watched him. It was a bit sweeter than regular chocolate, and definitely rich. Just one candy would have Cory hyper for hours on end.

Puck's eyes widened. "Whoa," he said, stunned. "How much sugar did you put into this? This is...whoa. Whoa!"

Sabrina bit her lip. "What? What's wrong with it? I put in the normal amount of sugar! I think..." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"It's sweet," Puck said. "Incredibly sweet - this is a _lot_ better than most chocolate. Man, don't give any of this to Cory unless you don't want him to sleep." He looked at Sabrina and grinned. "It's awesome."

Sabrina let out a sigh of relief, then laughed. "Why do you think he was squeaking and bouncing all day yesterday? Daphne gave him a piece while I wasn't looking. I just assume all little kids love candy of any kind, so I didn't know if it was gonna be okay. You really like it?"

Puck nodded. "Absolutely," he said. "In fact, I think it's spoiling all other chocolate for me - you'll have to make more." To emphasize he popped another piece into his mouth.

Sabrina tried not to look pleased at his words, so instead she shrugged and smiled. "Well, we'll see. Maybe if you play your cards right."

"You want to try some?" Puck asked, his eyes twinkling. He kept the box pulled back, out of her reach.

"I tried it when I made it," she said. But still... "Gimme one. I may as well."

Puck grinned. He selected another candy - and put it into his own mouth.

Then he promptly walked over to her and pulled her into his arms, kissing her thoroughly.

Sabrina gasped--that had been the last thing she'd expected him to do, and she melted in his arms like butter. Her knees felt weak and her head went fuzzy--the usual reaction when he swept her off her feet. To top it off, the kiss tasted like chocolate, making it sweeter. "Mmm..."

His arms were tight around her as he kissed her deeply - sweeping her off of her feet was exactly what he was trying to do. Then he slowly pulled back, his eyes focused on hers. "Good?" he murmured.

Sabrina stared up at him, her eyes wide and filled with admiration. "Y-yeah," she murmured. "G-good." She didn't know how there was always magic when they kissed, or why she felt like she was falling in love all over again every time the kiss ended and she found herself staring into his eyes... but she hoped those feelings never went away.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Sabrina," Puck murmured, his voice low and gentle, his eyes glimmering.

Sabrina felt her cheeks grow hot again, her expression softening. She hadn't known whether he'd ignore the holiday, or make a spectacle. The last few, he'd tried to outdo himself every time and it got outrageous. Just spending time with him like this, it was amazing. "Puck..." She swallowed, then smiled up at him. "Happy Valentine's Day."

His smile spread into a full grin. "So," he said, "do you want to get ready to head out? Or should we stay in a bit?" He grew her closer.

Sabrina grinned back, looking just as mischievous as Puck. "What do you say we lock my door and break some of my parents' rules?"

"Oh, I think I can say that I like that," Puck said with a chuckle. "I like that very, very much."

"You're such a bad influence," Sabrina laughed. "I love it."

She kissed him again--they just had to make sure not to get caught. That made it all the more exciting.

***.*.*.*.***

**A/N:**

**Sky: **Fluffy-duffy-wuffy. The wedding, reception, and epilogue chapters will be coming soon—also, we went and saw the Percy Jackson movie… what an interesting interpretation of the plot XD Grover was still awesome, but… eh. XD Other than that, what the crap was that all about? XDXD

Anyway thank you so much to all of our reviewers, and I'm sorry I can't name you all right now, and sorry it took so long. Luvvies. And special thanks for all the support over my breakup. Life goes on! (And to those who asked, no I am not curled up in the corner singing "Already Gone" by Kelly Clarkson. Now I'm singing "Happy" by Leona Lewis. XDXD)


	39. The King's Vows

**EDIT: Sky: Re-Added scene skips.**

**A/N:**

**Sky:** We're baaaaack!^^ Kinda. I'm afk actually. Got my copy of Sisters Grimm book 8 about a half hour ago and I'm halfway through it :3 Take it away, Ayns!

**Ayns:** T-T Sky has Sisters Grimm 8... I want Sisters Grimm 8! But since she's collecting it and I'm borrowing her copies, I have to wait until tomorrow...so I respectfully request that no readers post spoilers in reviews until Monday!

That said, we both hope you enjoy this chapter. We were really struggling with how much we wanted to put into it, and it wasn't easy to find a place to enter in the chapter break. The story isn't finished yet - we've still got a bit to go - so we hope you'll remain patient with us as we reach for the end!

**Sky:** We were gonna have the wedding in this chapter (OMG AYNS PUCK IS BEING SO FREAKING CUTE IN THIS BOOK!) but since we ran into overtime, we decided to do the wedding and reception on chapter 40. XD Hopefully we'll contain it to one chapter. (PUCK IS ADORABLE)

Oh, in other news, we're off hiatus for this story now. :3 We're gonna hopefully finish it ASAP because I'm in a bigger SG mood and...

...

... I have a boyfriend. Teehee^^ And he makes me really happy. So I'm in a happy mood now.

**Ayns:** ::tosses Sky a cookie:: I think our goal is to get the next chapter out within the following week, two if schedules are tight - I just started a new job and while the schedule is better overall, sometimes Sky is sleeping by the time I get home, lol. But SG 8 came out at just the right time - in fact, Sky, let us dedicate this chapter to it's release.

**Sky:** nomnom cookie. Yar! In the words of Daphne: Pucktastic! And I gotta stop talking before I start spoiling things, because I already can't shut up about Puck constantly using the name 'Honey' in this book. WHEEE!

Thanks to all the reviewers :3 I'll try to reply to more reviews now that I'm chipper, but my home internet is still sucking.

...teehee. My new boyfriend fixes computers. Too bad he doesn't live here. WHEEE!

TO BOOK 8!

**Ayns:** ::duct-tapes Sky's mouth:: And so we'll leave you to enjoy Chapter 39 of No Matter What. ::pulls back the curtain:: Please enjoy the show.

***.*.*.*.***

**_No Matter What_**

**_Chapter Thirty-Nine: The King's Vows_**

**_*.*.*.*.*_**

"Cory, if you keep pacing like that, you're going to make a hole in the floor."

Cory lifted his head, then scowled cutely, his curly blonde hair falling into his eyes a bit. He put his hands on his hips, debating his older sister's words, then sighed and sat down instead, struggling not to fidget. At four, he was still adorable enough to get away with most things, but old enough to know better than to try it all the time.

Sighing with affection, Sabrina walked over and lifted him into her arms. Even though the wedding was only a week away, she seemed absolutely calm, relaxing in a pair of pajama pants and a tank top while guests arrived from all over the world. Very few were going to be staying with them specifically, but almost everyone stopped by to say hello first.

The cause of Cory's anxious behavior was a little girl he had been waiting to see since Christmas. Since they lived so far away from each other, they only got to talk on the phone (which William barely approved of) or see each other at certain holidays. The last Christmas gathering, Cory hadn't gotten as much of Cassia's attention as usual, either. There had been a new addition to the Charming family. A little boy named Michael, who seemed just as intent on keeping Cory and Cassia apart as his father.

"But Sabrinaaaaaaa," Cory whined, pushing his face into her chest and hugging her. "They's late!"

"They're late," Sabrina corrected Cory. "And they'll be here soon. Don't you have a present for Cassia?""They're late," Sabrina corrected Cory. "And they'll be here soon. Don't you have a present for Cassia?"

"Uh-huh," Cory nodded, voice muffled by her shirt. "I gaved it to Puck to hold it f'r me."

"You gave it," Sabrina corrected again.

Cory made a face. "Puck says I speak okay and cutely."

"Puck thinks you're still a baby," Sabrina reminded him. "And it was cute when you were smaller, but aren't you a big boy now?"

Cory stuck his lower lip out. "I's a big... _I'm _a big boy," he corrected, nodding. "Cassia thinks I am..."

"You are," Sabrina grinned, kissing his head. "You're still my little brother though."

Cory giggled, pretending to try and get away from the kiss. "No! Puck says girl-kisses are yucky yucky!"

"Oh he did, did he?" Sabrina laughed, carrying Cory to the couch and plopping him down so she could tickle-attack his stomach. "I'll make sure not to give him any more kisses then!"

She shouted the last part loud enough that Puck, who was supposed to be cleaning up the kitchen in anticipation of the Charmings coming over, would hear it.

Cory squealed and giggled at the same time, trying to get away from her tickles, but secretly enjoying it anyway.

"PUUUCK!" He cried, flailing his little limbs. "HALP!"

"Whoa whoa whoa, who's not getting kisses?" Puck rushed into the room, shaggy blonde hair falling across his forehead. "And why? And are you really sure you want my help, Cory?" He grinned at the little boy, seeing that Sabrina was tickling him to oblivion.

"PUCK!" Cory squeaked, managing to get free for a brief moment.

"You're not getting kissed," Sabrina replied, scooping Cory back up. "Since you think girl kisses are _sooooooo_ yucky."

"Ohhh, that." Puck grinned, not the least bit ashamed. "Well, yeah. However, there's a difference between girl-kisses and _Sabrina_-kisses. Sabrina-kisses are, after all, far superior."

"They are?" Cory yelped, still trying to get free.

Sabrina rolled her eyes. "Uh-huh. Right."

Puck nodded sagely. "Absolutely," he said. "Though the average girl-kiss is to be avoided, there are certain types that are all right. This changes from person to person. My certain type of girl-kiss is the Sabrina-kiss."

Cory gasped, then squirmed to face Puck, hair tousled. "An my kisses are the Cassie-kiss?"

Sabrina couldn't help but blush a little, grinning down at Cory. As infuriating as Puck could be, and as horrible as it was that he constantly taught Cory how to pull pranks, no one could deny that he was a good role model and big brother for the little boy.

Puck gave another nod. "Precisely," he said. "Therefore, you should avoid all girl-kisses but Cassie-kisses." He paused. "Oh, and sister-kisses are okay, too." He gave Sabrina a wink, knowing full well that both she and Daphne still liked to give Cory kisses.

"YAY!" Cory turned in Sabrina's arms, and before she could say anything to Puck, he slobbered her with kisses.

While she was stunned and damp, he hopped down and raced off to find Daphne.

"...Ew and cute," Sabrina said, wiping her face off.

"You love it," Puck teased, walking over to her. "Want a napkin?" He couldn't keep the grin off of his face.

She scowled at him, then grinned and moved closer, kissing him briefly. "Can you believe we're only a week away from being married and getting outta this house?"

Puck slid his arms around her waist. "Hard to believe, isn't it?" he asked. "I feel like it was only yesterday that you and Daphne stumbled into my domain and ended up turning my life upside down."

"Don't get sappy with me," Sabrina laughed, resting her head on his shoulder. "Have you written your vows yet?"

"Not quite yet, but I'm working on them - I promise," Puck replied. "They're just not done."

Sabrina growled teasingly. "If you put it off to the last minute, I'm going kill you."

"Well, I love living dangerously," Puck said with a grin. "But I promise that I'll have them ready to go on the wedding day."

"You'd better," Sabrina warned. She pulled back a moment later, pushing her hand through her hair. "I hope everyone gets along at the wedding. I uh... I got pressured into inviting someone and I haven't told Uncle Jake about it."

Puck raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" he asked. "Now I'm curious. Who'd you invite?"

Sabrina sighed warily. "Baba Yaga. And she RSVP'd."

Instantly the blonde fey's eyes lit up. "Baba Yaga's coming?" he asked. "Awesome! I wonder what she'll bring us for a wedding present."

"My skin just crawled at the idea," Sabrina said, shuddering again. "Ugh."

Puck beamed. "Does that mean I can have the present all for myself?"

"Most likely, yes," Sabrina promised. "Especially if it's magic. Just because I lost the addiction doesn't mean I wanna chance doing something stupid again."

Puck kissed her forehead, his lips ghosting softly over her skin. "Don't worry," he said. "If there's magic with it, I'll take precautions."

Sabrina blushed and looked to the floor. "Thanks. How's the kitchen looking? Clean enough?"

"Well, it looks clean," Puck said, and he looked rather proud of himself. "Wanna come see?"

"Nah," Sabrina pulled him down onto the couch and cuddled at his side. "Let's just relax. This place will be crawling with people and wedding plans for the next week."

"So we better steal some down time when we can?" Puck slipped his arms around her. "Yeah, good idea. Daphne's probably going to come after you with a brush eventually."

Sabrina cringed. The picture of them at their senior prom was both a good memory and a painful one. The intricate curls and braids had been wound with small green jewels and crystal flower pins that matched her green and white dress. Still, she had been happy that Puck had asked her to prom, and that they'd gone. "I'm not looking forward to having my hair up again. Maybe we should elope."

"Your family and my family would hunt us down," Puck said solemnly. "And we don't want my mother on a hunt. No, I'm afraid if we want to live a married life in peace, we have to go through with this."

"Bad enough we made the news," she muttered in response. Oberon, not satisfied with his status as a King and pretty much ruler of New York's faerie community, had extended to politics in the normal world as well. Now that he was well on the route to becoming a Senator and in a circle of rich and influential people, Puck and Mustardseed were often in the tabloids. Regardless of how little time Oberon seemed to be spending in New York nowadays.

At that, Puck twitched. "Oi," he said. "You know, as much as I love adoring fans and all, if I get one more paparazzi camera in my face _someone_ is going to find a tub of glue falling on top of their head."

"Thank god your brother's still single," Sabrina laughed. "They can follow him and speculate on his possible romances without bothering us."

"At the rate my brother is going, he'll probably be single for a good long while." Puck shook his head. "Honestly. Hey, why don't you throw him the bouquet?"

"I have to throw it to a girl," Sabrina said. "Why don't you flick the garter at him?"

Puck lit up. "Oh, hey, I forgot about the garter," he said. He leered at her. "I'm looking forward to that one."

Sabrina made a face. "Pervert."

"PERVER!" Cory echoed from Daphne's arms. Kerdy and Daphne had taken the kissing enthusiast down stairs to wait again.

Daphne grinned at them. "I'm not sure I want to know what you guys were talking about," she teased. "Any sign of our guests yet?" She was cuddling her brother with a smile.

Sabrina rolled her eyes. "Nope. Maybe they got lost."

"?" Cory flailed his arms. "Losted?"

"Just lost," Sabrina corrected.

"NO!" Cory looked at Daphne tearfully. "Find me my Cassie please!"

Daphne melted. "Oh, Cory," she said, kissing the top of his head. "Don't worry, I'm sure they'll be here soon. Cassia wants to see you, too, I'm sure!"

Cory nodded, convincing himself as well. At that moment, there was a knock on the door that made him go rigid, eyes widening in excitement. "!"

Daphne looked at Kerdy with a twinkle in her eye. "Should we go check the door?" she asked. "Or let someone else get it?"

"I'll get it," Kerdy said with a grin, kissing Daphne's temple first. He headed to the door and opened it, waving. "Welcome."

William rolled his eyes. He had Cassia in his arms, while the younger Michael slept in his mother's. They'd stopped by the hotel briefly, but Cassia had insisted on hurrying to see Cory as soon as possible.

The moment the door opened, Cassia began to wiggle in William's arms. "Cory," she said insistently, looking up at Kerdy. "I want Cory now, please."

"CASSIE!" Cory cried happily from Daphne's arms. He squirmed to get down immediately, then rushed for the door.

"Cassia," William corrected, scowling. Still, he set his daughter down in her cute little dress, watching Cory like a hawk.

Cassia clapped her hands, and then rushed for Cory. "Cory!" As soon as she was close enough she ignored her dress and pounced, power-nuzzling him.

Snow smiled, tucking Michael against her chest as she watched her daughter warmly.

Cory hugged her tightly, giggling. "Cassie, I need my Cassie-kisses! I already gots lots of sister-kisses!"

"Grimm..." William growled.

Sabrina rolled her eyes. "Cory, no kissing Cassia in front of her dad."

Cory bit his lip. "Oh, okay."

Cassia nuzzled Cory, giggling. "We can wait 'til Daddy goes 'way," she said, already planning on how she was going to give Cory her kisses.

Snow laughed. "I'm going to guess that this was Puck's idea," she said lightly. Puck just grinned proudly.

"Something like that. Come on in," Sabrina said, playing the hostess. "My mom went out to pick up the cake samples for the rehearsal dinner, and my dad's... somewhere. I should know, but I don't right now."

Michael stirred in his mother's arms, looked around, then sniffed and put his face right back in her shoulder, not very impressed or awake.

"Don't tell Mom," Daphne said, "but Dad's taking a nap. He was up really early this morning arguing with the caterers about something."

Snow looked down at the baby, and her expression was soft. She kissed the top of his head. "Hello, sweetie," she cooed.

Cassia glanced at her mother and Michael, then looked back at Cory. "Mommy's 'stracted," she whispered to Cory. "Let's hide!"

Cory nodded earnestly, taking Cassia's hand and dashing off. Puck had taught him how to hide and run away, so he was really good a evading when Kerdy tried to grab him.

"Meh," Kerdy shrugged. "They can't get into much trouble here, I guess. How was the flight?"

"Ghastly," William said, cupping the back of his son's head for a moment, stroking his soft black hair.

"But Cassia and Michael slept through most of it," Snow said, smiling as she watched her husband and son fondly.

"Pfft, there are better ways to fly than airplanes," Puck said haughtily.

Daphne rolled her eyes. "Not everyone has wings, Puck," she said, reaching for Kerdy's hand.

"Except that in this room, three out of seven of us do have wings," Sabrina said, looking to her sister. "That's almost half."

Daphne looked thoughtful, tilting her head to one side. "I guess that's true," she admitted. "But still, not all of us can fly that way."

"Besides which, you know Kerdy'll fly you around if you really want to," Puck said dryly, which brought a brilliant flush to Daphne's face and an amused smile to Snow's.

Kerdy coughed into his hand. "Can I offer anyone refreshments?"

"Please do. If I'm going to vomit, I may as well eat first," William muttered, looking to the couples dryly.

"It's cute. But I agree with you," Sabrina said, shaking her head. "Ever since they hit the teens, they've been all over each other and holding hands everywhere. It's making us all a little sick."

"I'm technically older than you," Kerdy muttered. "Gimme a break."

Daphne hugged Kerdy's arm. "Oh, don't listen to them," she said. "Sabrina and Puck have their own lovey-dovey moments, and so do William and Snow!" She'd seen them. No way were they going to be able to deny it.

"Yeah, but we keep the embarrassing stuff private," Sabrina said smoothly.

"Not if you're whipped you don't," Kerdy said with all the confidence of a thoroughly whipped boyfriend. "If Snow wanted, she could have William quoting poetry on one knee, or taking ballet classes with Cassia to stop her from naming their son Will--CASSIA TOLD CORY ON THE PHONE, STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT!"

William was staring murder at Kerdy's face, but the boy wasn't done.

"And on that note, if you wanna play that way, write your own vows, Puck, I'm not doing it now!" Kerdy laughed, turning and ushering Daphne into the kitchen.

Sabrina's jaw dropped. Her murder stare was directed at Puck now. He was supposed to write them himself!

Puck's eyes widened, and he felt himself going a little pale. 'I...er... um..." He darted a frightened look at Kerdy. "...I think I accidentally...left the toaster on in the kitchen. Right. And there's a fork in it. I better go...remove that."

"You do that," Sabrina said, still glowering. "And then maybe stab yourself in the arm with it a few _dozen times!" _she snapped

William rolled his eyes. "Come along, dear," he murmured, putting his hand on Snow's back. "Let's sit down."

Snow smiled and nodded. "We'll leave them to make up," she murmured, knowing that eventually they would.

Puck looked at Sabrina pleadingly. "I was just asking for his help," he said. "I wasn't going to make him write it all, honest. Just...you know how bad I am at putting things into words!"

Sabrina closed her eyes and counted to ten, then shook her head, opening her eyes and glaring. "I can't believe you. The one thing I want you to say in your words from your heart, and you try to make Kerdy do it for you? That's great if I wanted to marry _Kerdy!"_

"Sabrina," Puck looked at her, and reached for her hands. "I just didn't know where to begin. I needed a little help. I was going to write the final version myself, I swear I was, but I didn't want to screw it up!"

Sabrina yanked her hands away. "Yeah, right. I don't even want to talk to you right now. Maybe you should go check on that fork and toaster." She spit the last part sarcastically.

Puck's eyes widened. "Sabrina!" he protested. Damn it, there'd been a reason he hadn't wanted Kerdy to say anything - he known she'd react like this.

Then again, he knew that she had a right be angry... ARGH!

Sabrina scowled and turned away, stomping for the door and leaving. She was far too angry with Puck to be around her family.

Puck leaned against the nearest wall and pressed his hand against his face. "Damn it," he whispered.

Then he straightened up and turned, walking into the kitchen.

Kerdy was bringing out a tray of snacks for William and Snow in the dining room, pausing when he caught sight of Puck. He could tell they had fought.

Puck looked at Kerdy. "Well, now she's pissed off at me and she took off on her own," he said. "Why'd you tell her that, Kerdy?"

"Because she was gonna find out sooner or later and I never should have agreed anyway," Kerdy said, handing Daphne the tray. "Princess, can you go give this to William and Snow?"

Daphne nodded, glancing from Kerdy to Puck. "Yeah," she said, deciding that was the safer place to be right now.

Puck scowled. "You know why I asked for help, though," he said once Daphne was gone.

"Yeah, I know," Kerdy leaned into the counter. "But she'll want it to be all you, not my words with your dazzling Puck-sparkle on them."

Puck sighed. "I just want it to be good," he said. "I... I'm worried that I'm going to try and come up with something and it's gonna come out all wrong."

Kerdy shook his head. "You'd think after all this time, you'd learn."

"Yeah, you would think that, wouldn't you?" Puck groaned. "A week until the wedding and my fiancée is mad at me. What the hell do I do?"

"Did she throw the engagement ring at you?" Kerdy asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Eh?" Puck blinked. "No. Why would she do that?"

"Then you're fine. If she didn't take the ring off or throw it at you, she probably plans to marry you still," Kerdy said brightly.

At that, Puck perked up. "You think you?" he asked with completely and total hope. "Really?"

Kerdy rolled his eyes. "After all the drama and soap operas you guys have been through, you really think she'd call off the wedding because you acted like an idiot?"

Puck looked sheepish. "Well, no, I guess not," he said. "I know her better than that. She was just incredibly angry."

Kerdy shook his head. "Married life is gonna be hectic for you. You realize that in one week, Sabrina will be your wife?"

Puck swallowed hard, paling a little. "Yeah," he managed. "That's really starting to sink in. Why do you think I'm joking around so much lately?"

"Not getting cold feet, are ya?" Kerdy asked. "I mean, you guys have been together forever already--you can't be worried about commitment, can you?"

Puck shook his head. "No, it's not that," he said. "But it's starting to really sink in that as of next week, I get to spend _the rest of my life_ with the girl I love. Sabrina and I have pretty much been through hell and back together, and now we're getting married. And I don't want anything to go wrong, but damn...you know me, Kerdy."

Kerdy nodded, putting a hand on his shoulder. "She's nervous too, ya know. She jokes about eloping a lot, but that's just because she's worried she'll make an idiot out of herself or cry during her vows. You know how she hates feeling embarrassed. I think what you should do, is write down everything you want to say to her that'll make her cry, laugh, hit you, and kiss you, and say it at the rehearsal dinner instead of the wedding. Keep the vows short, because hers will probably make her emotional, and then if you make her emotional again, she'll cry."

Slowly Puck nodded, mulling over Kerdy's words. "You know, that sounds like a really brilliant idea," he said quietly. "How do you come up with these ideas, Kerdy?"

"I've always been better with the ladies," Kerdy teased, grinning at him. "Remember, I got your girl to date me while you were figuring out cooties and girl-germs. You're lucky the Goblin's Mirror kicked you into gear so you could get a lock on her before she noticed other boys. Who knows where we all would have ended up?"

He gave Puck's shoulder a pat. "Have you guys decided on whether or not you'll be Puck Grimm or she'll be Sabrina Goodfellow?"

Puck shook his head. "We haven't really talked about it," he admitted. "Honestly it doesn't matter to me. Grimm or Goodfellow, there's no difference. What matters to me is that she's my wife, not what name we have."

"You should be writing this stuff down," Kerdy teased, turning and heading after Daphne. Michael was awake and trying to push a cookie into his daddy's mouth. There was frosting on William's face, but he was being utterly patient with the boy.

Snow and Daphne were both watching William and Michael, and Daphne was absolutely melting. She turned to look at Kerdy when he came in, her eyes shining. "Isn't he adorable?" she asked immediately.

"Very," Kerdy agreed, walking to her and sitting next to her. Michael was sitting on the dining room table, wobbling a bit. Though he could sit on his own without support, he would flop back and forth a bit from not being used to it. "Did Sabrina leave?"

"She stormed out," William said, cupping Michael's little cheeks and helping steady him. The excited Michael grabbed onto William's large hands with his own tiny ones, smearing more frosting and beaming at his father.

Snow laughed softly at her husband and son, and then turned towards Kerdy. "I imagine she needs time to cool down some," she said. "How's Puck?"

Daphne looked at Kerdy anxiously.

"He'll be fine," Kerdy said, grabbing a cookie. "Don't worry about a thing."

Michael tilted his head back a bit, then giggled at his mother, wanting her attention.

Snow reached out and tickled one of his cheeks. "You're just the sweetest thing," she said affectionately. She leaned down and kissed the top of his head.

Daphne relaxed, and smiled. She didn't want anything to go wrong for Puck and Sabrina's wedding. "I'm sure Sabrina will come back once she's calmed down some," she said.

Michael giggled louder and began flailing his arms, before picking up another cookie and holding it towards his mother as a loving gift. "Coo!"

"For me?" Snow asked, her eyes lighting up. She reached out to take the cookie. "Thank you, sweetheart. I love it."

Michael beamed at her again, then bashfully hid his own frosting-face in William's sleeve.

"I'll take him to clean up," William said. "Hopefully, Veronica will be here soon."

Snow nodded, then leaned in to brush her lips against William's. "Thank you," she murmured, smiling. She counted herself incredibly lucky to have a husband who was willing to take care of his children.

William grinned, feeling dorky and smitten all over again. He picked Michael up from the table, carrying him to the bathroom to wash them both up.

"Hey Snow?" Kerdy asked. He no longer blushed when he looked at her. "Is he really gonna be mad if Cory and Cassia hook up when they get older?"

Snow turned towards Kerdy and smiled. "He talks tough," she said, "and he is _quite_ protective of Cassia. But Billy also wants Cassia to be happy. If they do date when they're older I imagine he'll be the typical overprotective wait-at-the-door father - but he'll want her to be happy."

"Creepy," Kerdy laughed. "But kinda cute. I'm glad things are going so well for you guys."

Snow blushed and smiled. "Thank you," she said. A loving expression crossed her face as she thought about her husband and children. It was clear that she was immensely happy. Daphne let out a soft sigh and gave a smile - she could only hope that she'd be that happy once she was married.

The thought made her blush and glance at Kerdy shyly.

Kerdy glanced at Daphne in the same moment, then blushed and turned away. When the doorbell chimed, he jumped up and slammed his knee. "OW! I'll get--ow ow ow! I'll get the door!"

He rushed from the room in a hurry, making Cory giggle from his hiding space in one of the cupboards. He was showing Cassia his glow-in-the-dark toys.

"Kerdy, are you okay?" Daphne yelped as Snow started to laugh.

Inside the cupboard, Cassia started giggling as well, covering her mouth daintily and looking at Cory. Kerdy was so silly!

"Fine!" Kerdy yelped, still rushing.

***.*.*.*.***

The girl at the door checked her watch, smiling thoughtfully and tucking her straight black hair behind one ear. She wore a stylish black dress that cut off near her knees, short sleeved with an open back and a V-neckline. Her boots had two-inch heels, silver buckles and chains looping on the sides at her ankles, with a zipper reaching the very top near her knees. Her hair was only shoulder-length, but the sassy layered cut made her seem mature. She held her crimson suede jacket over one arm.

Footsteps sounded on the walk behind the girl as Forse walked confidently up. He was dressed in dark slacks, and a deep maroon shirt with a vest over it. His dark hair was brushed so that his bangs fell over his forehead - he'd turned more than a few heads walking over to the Grimm house.

He smiled when he saw the girl. "Hello," he said in greeting.

She turned, sleek sunglasses hiding her eyes from him. With her free hand, she reached up to remove them, smiling brightly at him. "Long time no see. Does that mean Kerdy's here with Daphne?"

"Yeah, he should be inside," Forse replied, but there was a hint of confusion in his voice. He'd said hello to be polite and because she was, well...a _very_ attractive girl. But he hadn't thought he'd met her before.

"Cool. It'll be nice to see him too," she said, tucking her sunglasses into the small purse dangling at her hip. "I hope Daphne's not mad at me."

Forse paused and looked at her. Now he was positive that he had to know her from somewhere and for the life of him, he couldn't place where. "Why would she be mad at you?" he asked. "And...this is slightly embarrassing, but... have we met before?"

She laughed. "Well, she wanted me to stay near her age for the wedding, at least."

The door opened. Kerdy's expression was bright. "Forse, what are you doing here? Hey Red, how was the flight? When did you grow up?"

"The flight was okay. I grew up over the summer," Red laughed, moving forward to give him a hug. "I look older than you now. Of course, I _am _older than you..."

Forse's eyes went wide. "_Red_?" he asked, staring at the young woman in front of him. "You're... you're Red?" The stunned look on his face was comical.

"You look pretty red right now," Kerdy laughed. "You're blushing, big brother."

Red pulled back from the hug and smiled at Forse, purposefully charming him. "Sorry. I should have said something. Only a few people have seen me this age, so I'm having a bit of fun with it. Forgive me?"

Despite his shock, Forse found himself smiling. "No reason to ask forgiveness," he said. "I'm just glad to have the mystery solved. You look good, Red. That look suits you." He couldn't take his eyes off of her, in fact.

Red blushed. "Thanks, Forse. It drives Papa a little crazy though. He's overprotective. Oh, he's coming later this week when Granny gets here," she told Kerdy. "He wanted to visit her first."

"Kay," Kerdy opened the door wider. "C'mon in. The Charmings are here, and Mrs. Grimm should be back soon. Sabrina's not here; she's pissed off at Puck right now."

"Why am I not surprised?" Forse asked. "I was fully expecting them to have at least one blowup before the wedding itself."

As they came in, Kerdy sighed. "Puck wanted me to write his vows, and he planned to reword it. She'll cool down soon."

Red shook her head. "I hope Daphne had fun with the planning."

Forse chuckled. "She's come over to our house a lot, and the planning would always come up at least once."

"Kerdy, who's here?" Daphne called from the family room.

"Red and Forse!" Kerdy called, grinning. He knew Daphne had been looking forward to seeing Red--he didn't know how she'd take seeing Red as an eighteen-year-old-looking girl.

"Red?" Daphne bolted off of the couch and rushed for the front hall, skidding to a stop.

She stared at the now older Red, recognizing her instantly but unable to hide her surprise. Her mouth dropped open a little.

"When..._when did you get bigger?_" she asked and then promptly bit her hand.

Red laughed, setting her jacket and purse down. "You still bite your hand! I'm so glad you haven't changed, Daphne." She hurried over and hugged the younger girl as if they were sisters.

Daphne hugged her just as tightly. "I've missed you, Red," she said. "Why didn't you tell us you grew up? Mr. Canis didn't say anything either."

"Papa isn't that happy about it," Red said with an embarrassed giggle. "I got a lot of attention in Italy."

"I bet," Daphne said with a smile. Her eyes were shining. "Anyone special?"

"Nope," Red looked over at Forse briefly, then turned back to Daphne. "None of those Italian boys interested me."

Forse had been watching Red intently as he waited for her response, and a smile flickered over his face the moment he heard what she said.

Daphne smiled, glancing between Red and Forse. "And now you're back," she said brightly. "Maybe you'll find someone here."

"Maybe," Red laughed again. "I need to try on my bridesmaid dress. I sure hope Mrs. Grimm got my message."

"You could always wear the kid version," Kerdy joked. "It'll just be really small, low-cut, and tight." He shot a grin at his brother, hoping the image made him blush. It was about time he was able to tease the older boy.

Forse shot his brother a look as a dusting of pink appeared on his cheeks.

"We can ask Mom when she gets home," Daphne said with a smile. "If it's not quite right I'm sure we can fix it. Wait until you see what we've got planned. Can I do your hair?"

"Of course!" Red giggled. "Where's Cory at? I want to see him before we play with my hair."

"I think he's showing Cassia some of his toys - they're glow in the dark, so they're probably hiding somewhere." Daphne grinned. "Let's go find them."

Red waved to Kerdy and Forse, hurrying off with Daphne.

***.*.*.*.***

Sabrina was still in a foul mood when she got home, slamming the door. Everyone in the living room heard it. Veronica sighed--they'd been visiting with the guests and discussing final touches for the wedding.

Puck looked up when the door slammed shut, instantly knowing that it had to be Sabrina. He looked at the others, slightly wide-eyed - the slam alone meant that she hadn't calmed down as much as he'd hoped.

Daphne jumped to her feet. "Is that you, Sabrina?" she called.

"Yeah yeah," Sabrina said. "I'm going out to dinner with some friends, that okay?"

"Isn't it a bit too close to the wedding to be slacking off?" Veronica asked.

Sabrina walked into the room. "Just some more guests in town for the wedding. We won't be long. I have to get changed though."

She breezed past without even looking at Puck.

"Friends?" Puck repeated, watching her walk past. "Which friends?" He started rushing through the list of guests in his mind - trying to think of any that he knew were in town whom Sabrina would want to be with by herself.

Everyone was oddly silent until Sabrina came back. She'd worn strappy black shoes and a tiny black dress that she only wore when coerced or blackmailed. It always made Puck's jaw drop, and he hated sharing her when she wore it. Clearly, she'd done it on purpose.

"You're going out like THAT?" Veronica yelped.

"Yeah, no worries," Sabrina said.

Henry's eyes widened, and for a moment he forgot that his daughter was legal, that he'd promised to hold back a bit, and that she was getting married next week. "No worries?" he asked, shocked. "How...when...since when do you own a dress that like?"

Puck was on his feet in a flash, his eyes wide. "You aren't serious!" he said in shock. "That...you said you'd only wear that dress with me!"

Sabrina scowled. "And you said you'd write your own vows."

"Change of plans!" A familiar voice called from the doorway. "Tiger's not feeling too well, so Wendy's gonna stay here and catch up with everyone!"

Peter strolled into the room, smirking at Puck. "Guess it's just you and me for dinner, Sabrina."

"That's fine," Sabrina turned her chin up. She'd asked him to help her annoy Puck when he'd surprised her earlier. She hadn't even known they were really coming to her wedding. "We have _lots _to catch up on."

If it were possible for Puck's eyes to go any wider, they would have. Right now, they resembled an anime character's eyes. "_You!_" Puck exclaimed, pointing emphatically at Peter. "What are you doing here?"

"Taking your bride-to-be out to dinner!" Peter said cheerfully. "I'll have her back by midnight. Wouldn't want her turning into a pumpkin. Nice dress, Sabrina."

Sabrina blushed, second-guessing her cunning plan. She forgot how much Peter would actually hit on her.

Puck's eyes flashed with green jealousy. "Not without me you aren't," he said with a scowl. "I'm the only one who gets to take her out in that dress for dinner!"

"That's too bad," Peter said. "Besides, you have to entertain Tiger. He's excited to see ya!"

Puck blanched a little. Unfortunately, he actually did like Peter's son, and he had a hard time being downright mean to little kids and upsetting them.

He turned to try prevailing upon Sabrina. "You don't have to go out to eat with him," he said. "You can stay here. I guess he can too."

"Did you stab yourself with a fork yet?" Sabrina asked coldly. "C'mon Peter, let's go."

"After you, Milady," Peter said cheerfully. "Oh, Veronica, Henry, nice to see you--you too, Snow, Billy!"

Puck stood there glowering. He knew very well she wanted him jealous and damn it if it wasn't working.

He opened his mouth to protest again, and then felt a tug on his hand. He looked down to see Tiger, who was apparently a ninja, standing next to him and tugging. He was almost eight years old now, but he still acted younger.

Tiger beamed up at Puck when he looked down at him. "Will you tell me stories, Puck?" he asked sweetly, and with a completely hopeful look on his face.

Puck's eyes widened. Not only did he love telling stories, which were usually about himself, but the way Tiger was looking at him - how was _anyone_ supposed to resist?

Wendy looked amused as she moved to stand next to Peter.

"Welcome," Veronica said, shaking her head. She knew Sabrina was only trying to torture Puck--and succeeding. "Would you like coffee or cake? We're talking about the reception plans."

Cory hugged Cassia at the sight of another little boy, then yelped as Michael's little hand somehow found his hair and _yanked._"Good boy," William whispered to his son.

"Eep! Cory, is Cory okay?" Cassia cried, oblivious to the fact that her own baby brother had done the yanking. She reached out and patted Cory's cheeks in worry.

"I'd love some cake," Wendy said with a smile, "thank you. I hope you don't mind us suddenly showing up like that."

Tiger promptly pulled Puck over to a chair and gave his father an 'I'll keep him busy' look.

Peter winked to his son, then took Sabrina's arm and guided her quickly back out the door while the babies were being loud.

Cory whimpered and looked up with sad, sad eyes. His head hurt now. "Owie..."

Cassia's eyes widened, and she shook her head. "No owie," she said, her own eyes growing sad. She leaned forward and placed a very light kiss on Cory's forehead. "Owie gone?"

Cory smiled. "Owie gone," he echoed. "Thanky, Cassie!"

Veronica smiled into her hand, then stood and went to the kitchen to get the coffee and cake She suspected it would get loud when Puck and Sabrina spoke later with no distractions.

***.*.*.*.***

By the time Sabrina's car pulled up in front of the house, the entire house was quiet and almost completely dark. Almost, save for a light on in the living room.

The Charmings and Darlings had left a couple hours earlier, with their children in need of sleep, and Henry and Veronica had long since put Cory to bed. Forse had dragged Kerdy home as well, and once the two were done, Daphne and Red had headed upstairs in a cloud of giggles, having silently decided that Red was going to stay in Daphne's room for the night.

This left Puck awake and alone to wait for Sabrina to come home. He had no intention of leaving the living room until she was back.

Sabrina tried to be quiet when she got to the door, holding her keys like one wrong move would set off an explosion. She was the only one of her siblings who actually had a key. Cory was too young, and even though he'd insisted and won briefly, the minute he'd swallowed his key, he'd lost privileges indefinitely.

Daphne's problem was even worse, in a way. People would constantly come home to find her keychain dangling from the door, key still in the lock. At first, no one had noticed because whenever Kerdy came home with her, he'd get the keys with an exasperated affection for her.

Now, Kerdy had her key for safekeeping.

Shaking her head, Sabrina quietly turned the key and eased the door open, tiptoeing barefoot into the house. Her shoes were in her purse.

Puck was leaning in the entryway to the living room, wearing a pair of sweatpants and a tank top. "Enjoy your dinner?" he asked, raising an eyebrow with are 'you are not avoiding me' look on his face. His blonde hair was tousled.

"Holy crap!" Sabrina squeaked, dropping her purse and nearly tripping. Her hand went to her heart as she jerked her head in his direction. "Don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry," Puck said with a half-grin that indicated he wasn't really. "So. _Did _you enjoy your dinner?"

"Yep. It was awesome," she said smoothly, taking her shoes from her purse and heading for the stairs. "Enjoy babysitting?"

"Tiger's a decent kid," Puck said, "but I can honestly say my thoughts weren't really on him." He stalked after her, up the stairs. "Which I'm sure you were planning. You were trying to make me jealous."

"Did it work?" Sabrina asked, not slowing her pace.

"Damn it, yes, and you knew it would," Puck said with a scowl.

"Then I'd say the evening was a success. You could always ask _Peter _to write your vows."

She went into her room, but she didn't slam the door on him.

Puck twitched, but took the lack of slamming as a good sign and simply followed her right into her room. "I'm not going to ask Peter for anything," Puck said. "He flirts with you too much."

"Oh, is that why?" She scowled at him. "I'm going to bed. Leave me alone."

"And I'm not going to ask anyone to write the vows, either," Puck added. He sighed, and pushed his hand through his hair. "I was wrong about that. I'm sorry."

"Tch."

She went to her dresser, taking out her comfy pajamas and setting them on the bed.

"And I give you my absolute solid word that when I say my vows, it'll be me and only me," Puck said. He never gave his word like that and broke it - it was a very fey thing, and something that could always be counted on with Puck.

Sabrina hesitated for a moment, before just shaking her head. "Just leave me alone, Puck. I don't want to talk to you." She made sure her back was to him, because if she looked at him, it would be too obvious that she was already ready to kiss and make up.

A slow smile spread over Puck's face, and he quietly stepped up behind her.

He slipped his arms around her waist. "We don't really have to talk, then," he said in a low voice, his lips brushing against her ear.

Sabrina felt her cheeks heat up, and all at once, her dress felt too tight and small. "You're still a jerk," she murmured, hands moving to overlap his.

"I know," Puck murmured, teeth grazing her earlobe. "But you still love me."

"I can't believe you're right," she sighed, turning in his arms and hugging him. "I'm still mad though."

"That's fine," Puck said, resting his forehead against hers. "If you didn't get mad at some of the things I do, I wouldn't want to marry you."

"Gee thanks," Sabrina muttered. "You're so romantic."

He brushed his lips against hers. "I can be very romantic," he murmured. "I plan on showing you on a certain honeymoon coming up."

"Perv," she murmured, tilting her head to kiss him much more securely. "I can't believe I'm stuck with you forever," she joked.

"You love it," he teased, chuckling in between kisses. He wrapped his arms securely around her, holding her close. "So, can I stay in your room tonight?" he asked huskily.

"Only if you don't try anything," Sabrina said. "I meant what I said--no sex until we're married now."

His eyes glittered wickedly. "Oh, there're a lot of things I can do aside from sex," he said with an even broader grin.

She glared in response. "I will show no remorse in kicking you out," she warned, pulling back. "Now turn around and shut my door so I can change into my pajamas. This dress sucks."

"I like it," Puck said, letting his gaze linger on her for a moment before turning and doing exactly what she asked. He was a good boy and kept his back turned.

Sabrina rolled her eyes, grinning to herself as she put on some comfy pajamas and brushed her hair. "I'm really gonna go to bed though, so don't get any ideas."

"What if I promise that I'll keep my hands to myself?" Puck asked. "Can I at least have ideas then?" He tugged his shirt up over his head to get ready to sleep as well.

"Yeah yeah," Sabrina muttered. Her mind flashed back to the last time they had attempted to keep it innocent and sleep in the same bed.

Poof. Her wings popped out automatically.

Puck turned towards her, and he grinned broadly. He didn't say anything - he just kept grinning.

"I can _hear _you grinning," she griped, not facing him. "You better not be grinning when I turn around."

Puck coughed, and then fixed his expression into a solemn, emotionless mask.

Sabrina took two minutes to put her wings away, before turning to look at him with red cheeks. "I really hate that I'm almost nineteen and I still can't stop my wings from doing that."

"Want to be let in on a little secret/" Puck asked with a smile. "I'm several hundred years old, and there are some things that still make me pull mine out."

"I know that," she muttered. "I'm one of those things. But I'm the girl--I'm supposed to be able to make you do things like that. It shouldn't work on me."

"I need an ego boost, you know," Puck said, cupping her chin. "I love you, Sabrina."

"Like you need any more ego," Sabrina murmured, gazing up at him with soft blue eyes. "I love you too."

"We should probably get to sleep if we're going to," Puck murmured, meeting her eyes. "Because the longer we stay awake the more difficult you are to resist."

"R-right," Sabrina murmured, turning away from him. His eyes had been silver--too intense for her to resist either. "Just cuddling. Right."

Puck went over to the bed and pulled back the blankets, motioning to her. "Ladies first," he said, watching her.

"Then whatcha waiting for?" she joked, walking over and crawling in anyway. "Get the light, will ya?"

Puck grinned and snapped off the light, then made his way over to the bed in the dark, slipping under the blankets with her. He immediately reached for her to bring her into his arms.

Sabrina cuddled, closing her eyes. "Don't forget, the rehearsal dinner is in four days, and Kerdy's throwing you a Bachelor party after it. If you guys get a stripper, I will kill you."

"Since Kerdy's putting it together, shouldn't you be killing him?" Puck asked innocently. "Or would you leave that to Daphne?"

"I'll still kill you."

"If a stripper shows up, I will scream, run, and hide." Puck kissed the top of her head. "There's only one woman I want to see like that."

"Well don't hold your breath for that either," she joked, closing her eyes. "Goodnight, Puck."

"Good night, Sabrina," he murmured. "I love you." He tucked her close to him, and closed his eyes.

***.*.*.*.***

After that, the days seemed to fly by in planning, fittings, and greeting people who came into town for the wedding. When Relda and Mr. Canis arrived, Sabrina and Daphne spent the whole day with their grandmother, bringing Veronica, Briar, and Red with them for a girl's day out on the town. They spent the day reminiscing and crying, excited about the actual wedding.

By the rehearsal dinner, New York was packed with Everafters. They kept the guest list for the dinner short, having just the wedding party and family members attend. A very pregnant Gerda was gushing about romance and how happy she was, urging Kerdy and Daphne to hurry it up with their growing.

Veronica gently distracted Gerda with questions about the kicking baby, not wanting to think about _Daphne _getting married. She was already holding back her tears at the fact that her babies were growing up.

"It's not like much is gonna change," Sabrina said, sitting at the head of the table with Puck. She was dressed up, her hair curled and pinned back with blue roses that matched her dress. "Puck and I even decided to just keep our own last names."

"But you'll be moving out and living together," Veronica said, eyes misting up again. "My baby is growing up..."

"We have forever, don't we?" Sabrina joked. "You know we'll all come and visit."

She forced herself not to look at Relda when she said that. Though the entire Grimm family had been granted immortality via becoming Everafters, their beloved Relda had broken the news to them over the previous Christmas that she intended to live out the rest of her life as a normal human. Mr. Canis was the one taking it the hardest, but only Red saw that side of him. He hid it well.

It wasn't as if anyone could blame her, either. She hoped to be reunited with Basil, and she felt she had passed on enough of the business knowledge that Sabrina or Daphne would be able to take over in anything the Grimms needed to do once she was gone.

"I think I'm done travelling the world for a while," Red announced, touching her glass. She had sparkling cider, like most of the underage people. "Papa and I want to take a break. We decided to go back to Ferryport Landing."

"Really?" Kerdy looked to her in surprise. "I thought you loved travelling."

"I do like to travel," Red agreed. "But I decided I want to go to college now. I'm going to be a short drive from Granny's house from now on, and Papa is going to stay there."

She'd made the decision on her own, but everyone could tell she had done it for Mr. Canis, not wanting to steal any of the years he had left to be with his dearest friend. "Besides... college sounds like fun."

She glanced over at Kerdy when she said it--but only because Forse was sitting right next to him.

"College dating," Garret said, slinging an arm over Forse's shoulders. "Sounds like fun!"

The twins had only been in town for a few days, and had already teased the crap out of their brothers.

Mr. Canis looked at Red, and though his expression was just as closed as usual, anyone who knew him well - which was everyone at the table, really, could read the pride he held in his eyes. Red's announcement warmed his heart.

Forse's cheeks reddened, and he tried his best to ignore the smirk that Puck was throwing in his direction. "Not that you would know," he said, looking at Garrett and Rae. They'd never dated as far as anyone knew. They only hung out with each other and cracked jokes about other people's love lives.

"Oh, we weren't thinking it'd be fun for us," Rae teased Forse. The minute he'd caught Forse watching Red, he'd decided that he and his twin needed to have fun at both brothers' expenses.

Red smiled, looking over at Relda. "Besides, I miss Granny's cooking."

Sabrina coughed into her hand, forcing a grin. She had never gotten used to Relda's cooking. "Anyway, that's great, Red. It'll make it easier for us to visit you too."

Kerdy simply ignored his brothers, shooting a grin at his dad. Kai was overprotective and worrying a lot about Gerda, who seemed oblivious while she bounced baby Michael. Her pregnancy was coming up on the due date, but she didn't seem to worry about moving around too much or straining herself at all.

Puck shot Sabrina a grin of his own, knowing full well just how forced her grin actually was.

"And you are, of course, welcome to come over at any time," Relda said warmly to Red. She always had her home open to those people whom she considered her family. Though she did enjoy the time alone with Elvis, she missed having a full house as well. She was looking forward to having Mr. Canis back home, and having more of her family nearby.

Kai caught Kerdy's eye and smiled in return, though he kept one eye on his wife at all times.

Red grinned again and tucked her hair behind her ear. "I'll definitely be home on the weekends and holidays."

"I'm so glad this is all gonna be over soon," Sabrina joked. "It's creepy having all this attention."

"Are you kidding me?" Puck stretched and then tucked his hands behind his head. "It's _awesome!_"

Daphne giggled, and then rolled her eyes at her sister. "Well, at least you're marrying someone who doesn't mind taking all the attention for himself!"

Sabrina pointed at Puck. "Take a good look. I'm marrying that, Daphne. Ugh."

Daphne giggled again as Puck puffed up. She knew that Sabrina had never been happier than she was now.

"Sabrina, sweetheart, explain to me again your choice in husbands?" Henry stared at his future son-in-law, then looked at his wife. "I was never like that, dear, was I?"

Veronica averted her eyes innocently, twirling some of her hair.

"We Grimm women aren't known for picking the most mature men out there," Sabrina sighed with fake exasperation.

"Hey," Kerdy said. "I'm mature."

"Daphne's the combo-breaker," Sabrina said with a grin at her mother. Veronica laughed with her.

Daphne looked proud. "Am I?" she asked. "Am I really?" She looked at her father and at Puck.

Briar laughed softly, looking at Jake with shining eyes. "Have I mentioned that I adore your family?" she asked him.

"Yes," Jake said warmly, hands clasped with hers. They still acted like newlyweds. "But I'd much rather hear you tell me how much you adore me."

"Oh, by the way," Red said cheerfully. "Daphne tells me that Baba Yaga RSVP'd?"

"...?" Jake whirled around, nearly falling out of his chair in his rush to look at Red. Sabrina was cringing.

Daphne nodded. "Yep," she said. "I think she'll be on good behavior. Though, um, I think she also signed the RSVP card in blood..."

"_Awesome!_" Puck said cheerfully.

"...Puck, word of advice," Mustardseed said, looking at his brother. "When a wedding guest signs something in blood....that is not awesome."

Sabrina rolled her eyes. "Puck knew about it already, by the way."

"Not cool!" Jake squeaked. "SHE STILL WANTS TO EAT ME."

"She promised not to eat my relatives or friends," Sabrina sighed.

"How could you do this, 'Brina?" Jake whined.

"Man, I don't know why you all have such a problem with her," Puck said with a shake of his head.

Henry twitched, as Briar placed a comforting hand on Jake's arm. "Puck, have I mentioned that the only good taste you have is in my daughter?" he grumbled.

"It'll be fine," Sabrina said, shaking her head. "Besides, the Snow Queen RSVP'd too, and I think she's bringing her kids. If I can suck it up and deal with the guest list, so can all of you."

Kerdy grimaced. A lot. "Klarissa? And Jeremy? All of them?"

"Apparently, they mellowed out when they got to leave the barrier," Sabrina said with a shrug. "And they don't have magic, so I don't care."

"How did they get invited in the first place?" Briar asked curiously, stroking Jake's arm soothingly.

"It wouldn't be polite to just invite the Snow Queen and not her children," Daphne said. "A lot of people from Ferryport Landing are coming."

"My mother-in-law decided to invite everyone," Sabrina said dryly. Across from Veronica, Titania merely smiled and sipped her wine. "Something about better PR."

"PR?" Red echoed.

"Public relations," Mustardseed said with a sigh, looking at her. "Father's huge about it."

"Absolutely," Oberon said with an imperious nod. "When you're in the public eye as much as we are, you want the opinions of you to be excellent!"

Sabrina rolled her eyes. "I figure why fight it. Let them invite whoever they want, it's not like it'll make much of a difference to me. The wedding party's still small enough, at least."

"Yep," Puck said with a nod. He reached over and wrapped his hand around Sabrina's, squeezing her hand without looking at her. His eyes suddenly seemed a little distant.

Sabrina turned to look at him, grinning a little. "Just breathe," she told him, trying to relax him and misinterpreting the expression on his face. "We're halfway through. Once they get the toasts over with, we can get out of here and you can go to your party."

Puck looked at her, a glimmer in his eyes. "Yeah," he said, but the truth was that his thoughts were so far away from the party, they were practically in another state. "How long until the toasts are supposed to start?"

Sabrina shrugged. "I dunno. I'm not even sure who's gonna start them. Maybe Daphne or my parents."

Puck nodded slightly, glancing around the table. Everyone was still in their own conversations - no one seemed all that eager to begin the round of toasts.

Puck took a deep breath. All right then.

He gave Sabrina another hand squeeze, and then got to his feet.

"Puck?" Sabrina asked. A hush fell over the table, all eyes turning to the couple. Titania smirked into her glass, fully aware of what her son was about to do. She knew him well--and she had to say, she liked the way he had turned out. She supposed she'd always owe Sabrina just a little for that.

Oberon raised an eyebrow, and watched as Puck stood there and got everyone's attention. Usually Puck adored attention - but at this moment he was looking insanely nervous. Truly, Oberon couldn't remember his son ever looking nervous in front of an audience before.

Puck took a deep breath. "All right," he said. "I know that, supposedly, the wedding party is the one who makes all the toasts at a wedding. Well, I don't care about tradition. I've got some things that I need to say tonight."

"Puck, what are you doing?" Sabrina asked in confusion, looking up at him.

Kerdy grinned, ready to explain if Puck didn't.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Puck asked with a grin at Sabrina. "I'm giving a toast. Well, actually - I'm giving my vows. I decided that I wanted to give them tonight instead of tomorrow, it's that all right." He flashed her an utterly charming smile.

"Your vows... now?" Sabrina blinked a few times. Then her cheeks flushed. "You mean you really have vows? Ready right now?"

Puck's eyes sparkled. "Yep, absolutely," he said. "Did you think that I wouldn't?" His smile turned impish.

"I'm scared," she joked, raising an eyebrow at him. "Should I be worried, Kerdy?"

"Don't ask me," Kerdy grinned in response. "I have no idea what he's gonna say."

Daphne's face sparkled. "Go on, Puck," she said, wanting to hear. She was sure it was going to be incredibly romantic.

Puck looked at Sabrina. "Ready?" he asked, wanting to make absolutely sure she was listening.

"As ready as I'll ever be. Should I stand?" Sabrina joked.

Puck shook his head. "You don't need to stand up," he said. "I just want you to listen." He took a deep breath and pushed his hands through his hair. "Sabrina Grimm, when I was younger my entire life was lived jumping from one day to the next. I never thought about consequences, I never cared about outcomes, and I never wondered where my life was going to take me a year into the future, let alone ten years. I didn't want responsibilities, and I sure as hell wasn't ready for them.

"And then I met you. If I'd ever imagined what my ideal girlfriend would be like, and I didn't, I'm pretty positive I never would have pictured you. You were this loud, bossy, stick-in-the-mud, and you drove me absolutely up the wall when we met. I decided to make it my life's work to get you to loosen up. Then it was my life's work to get you to pay attention to me. And then I had to keep you safe.

"And before I knew it, I was in love."

Puck's cheeks were reddening now as he spoke. "Head over heels, in fact. You and I have gone through hell and back over the years together, and now the end result is that we're going to get to have each other for hundreds of years more. Frankly, I think that makes me the luckiest guy in the world. And tomorrow, when I'm standing at the altar watching you come down the aisle, I'm going to realize that tonight I don't know what lucky is."

A hush fell over the entire table. The entire restaurant, in fact. Not that it had been loud to begin with--they'd reserved the penthouse of a very fancy establishment. Sabrina's jaw was hanging open, while all the women seemed to be at some level of swooning. If they weren't stunned by the utterly romantic and charming speech, they were reminiscing to their own moments where the man in their life had romanced them.

Sabrina swallowed, quickly turning away for a moment, before turning back to Puck. "I-I can't believe you said that," she whispered, sounding choked up. "I think that's the sweetest thing you've ever said to me... ever."

Puck reached out to take her hand. "I mean every word I say," he said seriously. "I know you think I'm impossible sometimes, Sabrina, and I don't blame you. But no matter what I do, I always love you."

Sabrina wiped at her eyes, embarrassed. "Puck..."

She tugged him suddenly, yanking him down into a kiss that made the parents in the room cough and avert their eyes.

"Hard to believe that's your son, isn't it?" Titania chuckled, looking to Oberon.

Oberon was blinking slowly. "Are you...sure he wasn't switched somehow?" he asked, staring at the boy that he was suddenly finding himself proud of as Puck and Sabrina kissed.

Daphne clasped her hands in front of her, and then wiped at her eyes, sniffling softly.

Kerdy smiled down at Daphne, wrapping an arm around her and kissing her temple. He didn't say anything, but he was proud of Puck too.

Titania chuckled again, shaking her head. "Love. The greatest strength, the greatest weakness. I wonder when Mustardseed will find someone."

Mustardseed felt his face reddening again. "Mother," he mumbled. "I can hear you."

Puck ignored his family as he held Sabrina and kissed her. For a moment he was tempted to say that they should elope, that this was enough for him, but he knew that wasn't an option. And he wanted to give her a wedding - one that she'd remember one hundred years from now.

"Okay okay, save it guys," Kerdy said finally, when the kiss didn't seem to be ending. "Your parents are here for goodness sake."

"They chose to be here," Sabrina muttered, barely breaking the kiss. "Who asked you?"

Puck chuckled. "We'll be alone for the wedding night," he whispered to her.

Henry twitched, his eyes still averted. "Watch it, Puck," he said, even as a smile threatened to appear on his face from how happy Sabrina clearly was. "Technically, my daughter won't be a widow for another twenty-four hours."

Sabrina sighed and broke the kiss. "You can't kill him, dad. I'm almost nineteen."

"You're still our little girl," Veronica said. "And just because I won't let Henry kill him doesn't mean I won't let him hire someone else to do it, either."

Sabrina grumbled. "Shoulda eloped."

Puck retook his seat, laughing. "If we'd eloped, you would have regretted it," he said to her.

"Henry, Veronica, look at it this way," Kai said, holding his wife's hand as he spoke. "You have, at least, two more children who aren't married yet."

Veronica wiped her eyes. "But Daphne's in love, and Cory likes Cassia so much... oh, what if Cory wants to marry Cassia?"

"It's a good thing William's not here to hear that," Jake laughed. "They're just kids, Veronica. Isn't it a bit early to be thinking about that?"

"I guess I'm just nervous," Veronica said with a pout. "Sooner or later, all my babies will be grown up and starting their own families."

"Make more babies!" Gerda said cheerfully, cradling her stomach.

Veronica thought about it for a moment, then shook her head. "No, I don't think I could handle another one."

"You'll change your mind after a hundred years of no baby giggling! That's why we made Kerdy!" Gerda giggled happily.

"Mom!" Kerdy was sure his face was bright red. Sabrina at least, was getting a kick out of his discomfort.

"And then Kerdy decided to start growing up," Kai said with a shake of his head. He looked at Gerda and smiled - after all, she was quite round with their next child.

Henry looked at Veronica thoughtfully. "You don't think you'll want any more children?" he asked her.

"Not for a while," Veronica said, watching Gerda curiously. "Besides, Puck and Sabrina are getting married tomorrow, maybe they'll give us grandchildren."

"Grandchildren!" Gerda squealed, ignoring Sabrina's sudden choking on her drink. "That's such a clever idea! Forse, give me a grandchild!"

Garret burst out laughing, as did Kerdy.

Forse's eyes widened. "What?" he asked. "Me? Why me?" He tried to ignore his brothers, even though Rae was half-choking on his wine. Forse stared at his mother, and then gave a quick glance in Red's direction, unable to help himself.

"You're the oldest!" Gerda exclaimed cheerfully, as if that was the best reason.

"Has she had any wine?" Sabrina grumbled.

"Of course not. She's pregnant," Jake said, snorting into his hand. "But she's had quite a bit of the sparkling grape juice."

Gerda giggled sheepishly. "I don't like wine anyway."

Red was oblivious to the glance Forse shot in her direction--but Sabrina wasn't. She leaned to Puck. "Mr. Canis is watching, pass it down." Hopefully, Puck would get the message to Forse before he lost an arm. Or his face.

Puck caught Mustardseed's eye and gave him a pointed look, to which Mustardseed responded to by kicking Forse's ankle underneath the table. When Forse jumped and looked towards him, the other youth nodded slightly in Mr. Canis' direction.

The minute Forse saw the narrow-eyed gaze of Mr. Canis focused on him, he swallowed hard and definitely got the message.

Sabrina shook her head, feeling sorry for Forse. At least with Puck, Henry was all talk in trying to kill the boy. Mr. Canis probably wouldn't kill Forse for looking at Red--probably...

"Let's hurry up here," Kerdy joked. "So we can steal Puck away for his last night of bein' a single guy."

"Remember what I warned you about," Sabrina said, glaring at Kerdy. "No strippers and don't get into too much trouble."

Kerdy held his hands up. "You don't even know what Daphne has planned for your party."

He smirked at Puck. "I planned more of Sabrina's party than Puck's anyway."

Puck looked at Kerdy and Daphne, blinking slowly. "Just what, exactly, do you have planned?" he asked.

Daphne smiled sweetly. "Wouldn't you like to know?" she asked. "But no boys allowed."

"..." Sabrina looked at Kerdy warily. "If a stripper shows up at my party, I'm never letting you touch my sister again."

"You can't watch her all the time," Kerdy said cheerfully.

"My dad heard you."

"..." Kerdy glanced at Henry, coughing and getting up. "Great dinner everyone! C'mon guys, let's go, Puck needs his party!"

Puck grinned, moving to stand. "I suppose I don't have a choice," he said, casting Sabrina an apologetic look. "I'll try not to have too much fun if you promise to do the same." He didn't seem at all worried that a stripper might show up at Sabrina's party.

Sabrina scowled at him. "Uh-huh. Sure." Why wasn't he at all worried that she might have to deal with a male stripper at her party? "Have I mentioned your ego's gotten bigger?"

"It's always been this big." Puck said with a grin. He leaned down and kissed her. "I'm not worried about you making eyes at a stripper. But if he touches you, I'll have to kill him."

She rolled her eyes in response, kissing him again. "Dork. See you tomorrow."

Kerdy nodded to Mustardseed, and then the two were getting Puck in a headlock, dragging him away. Jake kissed Briar's hand and made her promise not to look if a stripper came--after all, Sabrina's bachelorette party included all of the women, even Gerda. Puck's party was just for the boys--none of the 'adults' were invited.

"Have fun," Red said to Forse, smiling at him.

Forse grinned at her. "You, too," he said as he got to his feet - though he would have rather stayed at this point. Then again, someone had to be the responsible person at the bachelor party, and he had a feeling that role fell to him.

Daphne bounced up to her feet. "All right, our turn now," she said perkily. "Ready, Sabrina?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Sabrina sighed, watching her fiancé get dragged off.

"You boys behave too," Veronica warned. The husbands were going to go have a few drinks--including William, who would be dropping Snow and Cassia off for the party. Peter and Wendy had graciously agreed to babysit Michael and Cory.

"I have a feeling we'll be the most behaved group of this evening." Henry said with a smile, leaned over to kiss Veronica's cheek. He wasn't anxious about the bachelorette party, given that there would be a lot of adults there as well as Sabrina.

"Yeah, at least the guys know we won't do anything crazy with Cassia and Snow there. William would storm the place if he even heard Kerdy's stripper joke," Sabrina muttered, shaking her head.

"Papa, Granny, are you two going to go catch up, or is Granny coming to the party?" Red asked sweetly, turning to them.

"We were going to go out and have a few drinks of our own, and catch up," Relda said with a smile towards Mr. Canis, who nodded. "Since it's been so long since we've spoken in person."

"And remember," Veronica said sternly, helping Gerda up. "Designated drivers if you drink anything alcoholic."

"Yes ma'am," Jake said, snuggling Briar again. "We're not stupid. And no one's getting drunk before 'Brina's wedding."

Briar cuddled against Jake, and then kissed his jaw. "Have fun," she said sweetly. "I'll see you later tonight."

"Maybe we should make a baby. A little Briar or a little Jake. Love ya!" Jake kissed her again and went to Henry, nudging him. "C'mon Hank, let's have some fun!"

Henry shook his head. "I think you broke her," he said to his brother as he headed out with him. Briar was standing where Jake had left her, her entire face scarlet and her eyes wide.

"Nah," Jake laughed. "She's only stunned by how amazingly charming I am."

"Men," Veronica said, shaking her head. It was too late. Gerda was staring at Briar with shining eyes.

Briar squeaked suddenly, looked at the other women, her blush only getting worse. It took her a few minutes to speak, and when she finally did, she was still squeaking. "Little Jake!"

"Oh Briar," Veronica laughed. "Are you sure you want to come to the party with us? You could go babysit little Michael if you're in baby fever mode."

Briar looked at Veronica. "But...but... Sabrina!" She flailed a little, because after all, it was Sabrina's bachelorette party and she only got to have one of those!

"Okay okay," Veronica laughed. "You can go spend time with the kids after the party."

"C'mon already, I'm not getting any younger," Sabrina joked.

Daphne grabbed her sister's hand. "This way," she said, tugging her towards the restaurant exit. She desperately wanted the party to go well and for Sabrina to enjoy it. Daphne had even had a cake made special for it from one of the top bakeries in New York City.

"Just remember, I'll get ya back in a few years when it's you and Kerdy," Sabrina teased. She paused, then suddenly grabbed Daphne in a tight hug, not saying anything.

Daphne immediately hugged her back. "Sabrina?" she asked, her voice muffled. Sabrina wasn't exactly prone to sudden hugs like this.

"It just hit me," Sabrina mumbled, closing her eyes. "I'm not gonna see you as much when Puck and I are married. You're my little sister, Daphne..." She knew she was probably still choked up from the speech Puck had given, but she couldn't help feeling emotional. "I'm gonna miss you a lot. You're the best sister ever."

Daphne closed her eyes and hugged her even tighter. "Same," she said. "But I'm not going anywhere. It's not like you and Puck are living on the other side of the world. I'm going to come visit you a lot."

"Yeah," Sabrina agreed. She let go of Daphne a moment later, wiping her eyes. "Just make sure if we have a gap of more than two years before we see each other, you won't make any babies with Kerdy before I find out about it."

Daphne blushed. "You'll be the first to know," she promised Sabrina. "I'll probably need to come to you for support so that I don't spaz out."

"You? Not spaz out? Impossible!" Sabrina grinned down at her.

"I agree," Red chirped, walking alongside them. "And I hope she never changes."

"Me too," Sabrina agreed fully.

Daphne blushed brighter. "Well, I hope there are some things I won't spaz out about," she said. She smiled then. "You know, we've come a long way."

Sabrina put an arm around Red, walking in the middle. "Sure have. I can't believe I'm marrying the Trickster King."

"I can," Daphne said, looking up at her. "There's always been something between you and Puck."

"Tch," Sabrina snorted, but she couldn't keep the smile off of her face. "I guess so. I can't believe he had such sweet vows. Makes me wonder what he's gonna say at the actual ceremony."

"It'd be hard for him to top that," Daphne said honestly. She suddenly wiped at her eyes. "I can't believe you're getting married tomorrow."

"I can't believe it either," Sabrina laughed, hugging Red and Daphne both. "Let's go party."

***.*.*.*.***

**A/N:**

**Sky: **Ayns played such a sweetie Puck in this chapter ^^ I loved his vows. It made me go "Awwwwwwwwww!"

**Ayns:** ::blush:: I was so afraid I was going to have to rewrite those vows a million times.

**Sky:** Hahaha. Also, Daphne's key problem comes from the fact that when Ayns took me to her house on Weds. her parents had to call her down to come get her keys out of the door before she could take me home. Dork. XD

**Ayns:** ^^; What can I say? We had our hands full of waffles and laptops and many other things. Remember, Sky, that we had no free hands between the two of us? We were doing amazing balancing acts involving AMP and Italian sodas."

**Sky:** Right. Vanilla flavored vanilla for you :P Anyway, the Wedding/Reception coming up, then the epilogue, and the (dun dun dun) finishing of the one-shots!

I might update Musings of a King too, since I'm almost done with book 8 XD

**Ayns:** Don't update until I read book 8! I wanna read your Musings, but I can't until they won't be spoilers.

**Sky:** NO PROMISES!

Luvvies everyone, thanks for reading and sticking with us, and thanks for all the support for my awful breakup. ^^!

**Sky: Further note: I didn't have time to do a re-read after the spellcheck, so I hope nothing's too butchered :X As for Cory and Cassia being all lovey and so little—I've seen it happen in real life and I think it's cute XD Oh and no, they didn't have wild parties with strippers. It's a running joke that I wanted a stripper at my bachelorette party, so we had to toss that in there XD Anyway I'd better get back to work so I can have the 8th book done in a half hour or so. Thanks so much to all the reviewers; I don't have time to list you all here, but I will list EVERY SINGLE REVIEWER IN ORDER OF YOUR REVIEWS FROM CHAPTER ONE on the epilogue. Love you guys^^ Thanks for all the support.**


	40. I Can't Believe I Do

**EDIT: Sky: IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT ALMOST EVERY SCENE SKIP WE PUT IN THROUGHOUT ALL PREVIOUS 39 CHAPTERS HAVE VANISHED. I'M GOING THROUGH ONE BY ONE AND PUTTING THEM IN AS *.*.*.*.*s, so IF YOU SEE SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT, PM ME PLEASE SO I CAN FIX IT T-T ALL ABRUPT SCENE CHANGES SHOULD BE SEPARATED BY *.*.*.*.*s!**

**A/N:**

**Sky: **WE BEAT THE GAME!

...Uh... I mean... HI! We're back with the FINAL CHAPTER OF NO MATTER WHAT! HOLY CRAP

**Ayns: **::is dazed:: Wow. Final chapter. Wow. I can't...remember the last time I actually finished writing a fanfic. I think I still have...six unfinished epics under my solo pen name. Wow.

**Sky: **Teehee^^ I still have an Epilogue to write, but no worries, that'll be out before the year anniversary of NMW. Wow guys, it took us a year to focus on this story enough to finish it. And we still have one-shots to do! Oshi-!

**Ayns: **This year of fanfic certainly hasn't been easy, though. A couple of times it looked like it might not get finished, so it's pretty impressive that we're here at this point. I'm fully prepared for the tomatoes to come flying at this being the last chapter, though. How about you, Sky?

**Sky:** I'm posting this chapter with body armor on. I'm scared. Hold me.

**Ayns: **::holds::

**Sky: **Also, the support and reviews have been wonderful. Since I'm working 6 days a week, I don't have the time to go list everyone on this one again, but I will list you guys on the epilogue, I promise. ^^

**iluvsummer95 sent us a wonderful message with a song they wrote for our story, so we're putting it in the wedding reception. Full credit to iluvsummer95^^**

**Ayns: **::bows;: Thank you very much.

As always, we hope that you enjoy this chapter of NMW as much as all of the others - in fact, given that this is the chapter everything has been building up towards, we hope you enjoy it more!

**Sky: **Read on ^^ Oh, and a shameless plug really quick, if you like angst and Jake/Briar moments, go read Kirou's story "Bittersweet". I really enjoyed it. ^^ And not enough people have been reading it. XD Oh and the five star skip thingies aren't working, so I had to add dots for *.*.*s...

Luvvies!

***.*.*.*.***

_**No Matter What**_

_**Chapter Forty: I Can't Believe… I Do**_

***.*.*.*.***

"Ow. Oh...ow." Mustardseed's low groans spoke volumes for the amount of pain he was in as his brother helped him out of Forse's car, which had just pulled into the driveway at the Grimm's house.

Puck looked at his multi-colored brother. "I warned you," he said. "Paintball hurts like hell if you get hit where you don't have padding."

"Owwww."

Kerdy laughed, sounding just as tired and strained. "And to think, wings should have been an advantage for that one. You gonna be okay, Garret?"

"You guys both suck," Garret groaned, resting his head on Rae's. "Who does all-night-extreme-paintball for a bachelor party?"

"Admit it, you liked the Puck-shaped targets that exploded in pink glitter when ya hit 'em right," Kerdy teased.

"Only because it annoyed Puck so much," Garret chuckled.

Puck scowled. "Yeah, I could have done without those," he grumbled.

"They were great," Rae chirped cheerfully, his arm around his twin's waist to support him as they walked. His hair was shimmering with pink glitter - he'd gone after as many of them as he could.

Forse shook his head. "I have to admit, though," he said. "As much as I want a nice, warm bath, that was some of the most fun I've had in a long time."

"I wonder what the girls did," Garret said thoughtfully.

"Manicures, pedicures, facials, massages, ice cream, pizza, and a cake decorating contest," Kerdy said knowingly.

There was a sudden _thud _as something flew into Puck, dark green wings beating at hummingbird speeds. Sabrina was suddenly clinging to Puck, a look of doom on her face.

"Whoa!" Kerdy yelped.

Puck let go of Mustardseed and staggered back a couple steps, his eyes wide. "Sabrina?" he asked, arms coming up to hold onto her. "Whoa! Sabrina, what's wrong?"

"THAT SUCKED!" Sabrina cried. She was in her pajamas, smelling sweetly of lilac and vanilla. It was clear the party was still going on.

A moment later, Red burst out, laughing and horrified at the same time. "Your mom caught him, Sabrina! I thinks he's gonna kick his ass!"

Puck's eyes widened. "Caught who and...what is that smell?" He sniffed Sabrina's hair.

Forse looked at Red, his eyebrows going way up. "Do we really want to know?" he asked her with a grin. His hair was spotted with red and yellow, sticking up a bit.

Red tucked some hair behind her ears. She was in a nightgown, not the pants and shirt combo Sabrina wore. It was of course, red. "Sinbad decided to crash the party as 'male entertainment'. He hit on Sabrina's mom a while, and then decided he should entertain the bride-to-be... Honestly, we were so surprised, he kinda got away with it at first."

"Where's Daphne?" Kerdy yelped.

"Locked in the bathroom with Cassia and Briar--they ran," Red said with exasperation.

"UGH!" Sabrina tightened her arms around Puck.

Puck twitched. "Sinbad?" he repeated, staring at the door.

"You can't kill him, Puck," Mustardseed said immediately.

"Why?"

"....I'm pretty sure it would be bad press if you did, and then you'd have to hear about it from Father for the next five hundred years."

Puck growled. "I'm willing to risk it!"

"It's kinda funny now that it's not horrifying," Red said helpfully. "Snow and Veronica are probably beating him up."

"Poor Daphne," Kerdy murmured, ignoring his polka-splattered clothes and rushing in to find her.

"The rest of us better get inside, too," Forse said with a shake of his head. He started up the porch steps, looking at Red. "Other than the party crasher, how did it go?"

Puck stroked Sabrina's hair. "There, there," he said soothingly.

"It was fun," Red said with a grin. "I think Sabrina was traumatized though. That's probably the first time she's seen a man in a thong."

Sabrina shuddered again, pulling back from Puck with bright red cheeks. "I don't know how you can be so calm, Red."

"I've painted nudes overseas," Red said simply.

Rae looked at Red with interest. "Did you, now?" he asked, darting a quick glance in Forse's direction.

Forse was staring at Red. The more he was finding out about her, the more amazed he was finding himself.

"I like art," Red said, looking a little embarrassed. "Besides, nudity isn't such a big deal in Europe."

Sabrina made a face. "Well it is in my house. Will you let me know if they threw him out yet?"

Forse smiled at Red. "Why don't we go see if it's safe yet?" he suggested to her. "That way Sabrina doesn't have to hide out here, and Kerdy might be able to get Daphne out of the bathroom."

Red nodded. "Alright. Don't worry, Sabrina. I'm sure it's okay now."

She headed back inside. Rae and Garret both followed, leaving Sabrina and Puck both outside by themselves. Sabrina looked up at Puck, then blushed and ducked her head, putting her wings away.

Puck grinned down at her. "So, did you have a good time before the party-crasher showed up?" he asked.

Sabrina nodded. "What'd you guys do?" she mumbled, trying to make her blush go down.

At that, Puck's grin grew. "Paint ball," he said. "All night. It was awesome. Kerdy's a walking bruise."

"None of you better be too sore for walking in the wedding," Sabrina muttered, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Puck said, tucking her closer to him. "Even if I have to show up in a wheelchair."

Sabrina rolled her eyes, then cuddled in his arms. "How about we ditch the parties? After all, it's mostly over for mine anyway."

"I think mine's over, too," Puck replied. "Have any place that we could ditch to in mind?"

Sabrina made a face. "Crap. I didn't think about that. My house is full of guests, and so's Kerdy and Forse's place."

There was a glimmer in Puck's eyes. "I have a place in mind," he said. "Come on. But when I tell you to close your eyes you need to close them."

"Whatever," Sabrina said with a laugh. "But if you drop me off a cliff or something, I don't care if there's a trampoline below. I won't marry you tomorrow."

"You have my solemn vow," he teased, nuzzling her. "Want to walk? Or fly?"

"I'm in my pajamas and you're covered in paint... so fly."

Puck's wings burst out of his back and he picked her up easily, leaping into the air. He immediately headed for Central Park, and soon they were able to see the sprawling park from their height.

Sabrina wasn't surprised by the sudden flight. She was used to doing it herself, after all. "Where are we going?" she asked, yawning.

"Some place I want you to see," Puck replied. "I was going to wait until after the wedding, but I changed my mind. Right now would be perfect."

"We're heading for Central Park though," Sabrina said, looking around. "What's in Central Park?"

Puck didn't respond - his grin just grew. When they reached the park, he landed in a secluded area, chosen specifically because no one would notice if a fairy landed there or not. "Okay, close your eyes."

Sabrina rolled her eyes again, then closed them. "If I start falling, I'm turning the bracelet on and taking you with me."

"Pfft. Don't you trust me?" he teased. "Okay, I'm putting you on your feet." He set her and steadied her, keeping his hands on her shoulders. "Walk forward."

"Kinda reminds me of that time when I was twelve," Sabrina joked, walking as he guided her. "Having to rely on you for sight and stuff..."

"That was a long time ago, wasn't it?" Puck asked. "I wonder how long it would have taken me to confess to you if all of that hadn't happened."

"I wonder if you would have confessed at all," Sabrina joked. "I can't believe you cried for me back then."

"I was under extreme emotional duress," Puck said, his cheeks reddening. "Just so you know, you're the _only_ person I'd ever do that for."

"I know, I know," Sabrina snickered, nearly tripping. "Watch where you're leading me."

He caught and steadied her, and then smiled. "You can open your eyes now."

They'd passed through a magical barrier while walking, one that was almost unnoticeable. They were definitely not in Central Park anymore.

Sabrina's eyes fluttered open. "Where did we..." she trailed off, looking at her surroundings.

They were standing in the middle of a sunny, sprawling meadow. And directly before them was a large tree - and the largest tree house ever. It was three times the size of their first tree house, with multiple levels, several balconies, and an actual wooden elevator basket for if they didn't feel like flying.

Puck stood next to her, smiling and saying nothing.

"...Holy crap," Sabrina whispered, staring straight ahead. "Puck... what is this?" she moved forward again, taking in the sight. "You made this?"

Yeah," Puck said, looking at her. "It took me awhile, but I got it finished a couple of weeks ago. What do you think?" He couldn't help but look pleased.

"It's amazing... I can't believe you did this."

Sabrina turned to Puck, eyes shining a little. "This is the best present ever, Puck."

Puck coughed a little, his cheeks reddening. "Well...I felt bad that we had to leave your old one behind when we moved," he said. "I wanted to give you a new one."

Sabrina moved back to Puck, then wrapped her arms around him tightly, not caring that she got some of the dried paint flecks on her pajamas. "I can't believe we're gonna be married tomorrow, Puck. This is surreal."

He closed his eyes and held her close. "I know," he murmured. "Completely surreal, but it's really happening, isn't it?"

"Must be," Sabrina laughed in his arms. "I wanna see my gift. Does it have blankets in there? We could cuddle."

"Blankets, cushions, a bed, couches, everything," Puck replied. "Fully furnished _and_ there's food." He kissed the top of her head.

"It almost sucks that we'll be going on a honeymoon away from this place," Sabrina joked, eagerly pulling back and looking to the tree house. Her wings popped out, and she immediately flew towards it.

Puck, who had never put away his wings, took off after her with a laugh. Seeing her so eager filled him with warmth. He couldn't take his eyes off of her.

"Holy crap, this is awesome!" Sabrina cried, diving right into a fluffy pile of blankets and pillows. "Did I mention Elvis is sleeping on my bed at home right now? I'm not leaving here before the wedding!"

Puck landed on the balcony and laughed, watching her attack the blankets and pillows. "Just as long as I can stay with you," he said with a grin. "Can I? Can I can I?"

"You sound like a kid at Christmas," Sabrina laughed, looking out at him. "Dork. Remember, we can hang out here, but nothing dirty."

"I'll behave." Puck retracted his wings, and then promptly dived in after her. "I've been good. I wanted you to play with the pillows first, so I didn't."

Sabrina put her wings away too, then curled up in the blankets and looked at him, head on one of the pillows. "I feel like a kid again," she joked.

"Well, we're Everafters," Puck replied. "We live forever, so there's no reason why we have to let go of our childhood completely, not when we have so many years ahead of us." He stretched out and lounged on the cushions.

"But then we end up having the same problem you did. Bein' a kid way too long," Sabrina joked. "We're adults now, Puck."

"Adults who know how to have fun," Puck corrected her. He rolled over and kissed her softly. "Don't worry. I'll bring out the kids in us, and you can make sure we're adult when we have to be."

"Dork," Sabrina smiled again, kissing him softly. "Forever starts tomorrow, eh? Maybe we should just get some sleep."

Puck grinned. "Tired?" he asked in a husky voice.

"A little," Sabrina admitted, looking at him. "I'm the one that has to look really cute at the ceremony."

"Then I think it's time for the second part of my present," Puck replied. He grinned. "Backrub time."

"Really?" Sabrina perked up, looking at him cutely. She couldn't help it. Who would turn down a backrub?

"Do you think I'd offer if I didn't mean it?" Puck asked, chuckling. "And because it's a present, I won't even pretend I meant me."

Sabrina laughed. "Good. Cause I'd kick you out of the tree house if you tried to pull that."

She adjusted the pillows, surprised to find that she'd jumped into a bed. "Oh, cool. This place is awesome."

"Why thank you, I designed it myself," Puck replied. He shifted some of the blankets aside so that he could kneel comfortably next to her. "Tell me when you're ready, okay?"

Sabrina made herself comfortable on her stomach, curling up with a pillow. "Ready," she said warmly. "I'll prolly fall asleep."

"I won't be at all insulted by that," Puck murmured. He placed his hands on her shoulders and began to work at her muscles slowly, his hands and fingers working together to relax her.

Sabrina sighed softly. "That feels awesome, Puck."

She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them. "Your vows really were nice. Better than nice."

"You really liked them?" Puck murmured. He leaned down and placed a kiss against the back of her neck.

"Yeah. I think it really was the sweetest thing you've ever said to me," Sabrina murmured. "I didn't know you had it in ya."

"I'm full of surprises." Puck ran his hands along her spine. "And I knew how much it meant to you."

"I didn't write my vows," she murmured, sighing in relaxation. "Felt too much like those old love confessions. I'm gonna wing it at the ceremony."

"You're going to wing it?" Puck asked in surprise. "Really? Just take it from the top of your head?"

"Yep. I figure it'll come to me," Sabrina said with a grin. "And if I don't write it, I hopefully won't get too choked up when I say it."

"I gotta admit, I'm curious now," Puck said. "I want to know what you're going to say." He worked at her lower back for a bit before moving up to her shoulders and neck again.

"Hafta wait and see..." Sabrina murmured. "Do you think my parents will be worried about me? I didn't tell mom we were leaving..."

"I think they'll notice I'm gone, too, and figure it out," Puck replied. "Your parents are pretty smart."

"Yep. I got it from them," Sabrina yawned again, feeling at ease. "They'll be your parents too, once we ya know... tie the knot."

"That'll be cool." The massage had slowed down some, and now he was mostly just stroking her back soothingly. "That means my parents'll be yours, though."

"Oh great," she laughed. Her voice was drifting off. "As long as no one kills me at the wedding..."

"Don't worry," he murmured. "I'll be right there. Nothing'll happen." He leaned down and nuzzled her hair.

Sabrina smiled sleepily, cuddling up with the pillows and falling into a peaceful, restful slumber. It was a good thing, too--with the wedding about to happen, she was going to be stressed and rushing around more than anyone.

***.*.*.*.***

"Do you want me to put these flowers in your hair?" Daphne held up the delicate flowers that she'd brought, looking at her sister earnestly. She'd been doing up Sabrina's hair while Snow and Veronica helped with her dress, making sure that the measurements were correct and everything was in place.

"No, I think it's fine as it is," Sabrina said, looking at herself in the full-length mirror. "He expects it to be up. I hope he likes it."

"He'll love it," Veronica said, adjusting the garter. Sabrina felt her cheeks heating up when she remembered that Puck would be retrieving the lacey garment.

With a sigh, Sabrina looked over herself, taking a deep breath to try and keep calm. Her long golden hair was plain and simple, flowing down her back in loose waves. Her tiara kept most of her bangs from her face, white roses woven in and sprayed with gold glitter dust. The veil would be going into the tiara when they were ready; it too was laden with baby white roses that were enchanted not to wilt.

All of the flowers had something sparkling on their delicate petals. The ones in Sabrina's veil and tiara all shimmered with gold and silver, while her bouquet held a very pale pink and emerald green. The white roses were mixed with deep green orchids, a theme to match her wedding ring and secretly (for the non-Everafters), their wings.

"I'm gonna throw up," Sabrina decided, studying the bodice of her dress.

"No you aren't," Titania said, standing off to the side with an amused look. She wasn't helping them much. "You'll be fine, child."

"Titania is right, Sabrina," Snow said warmly, looking at her. "I was nervous when I was about to marry Billy, but I was fine once the wedding ceremony started. Being nervous is perfectly understandable."

"I'm so not fine," Sabrina whispered. She laughed nervously, just in case someone got the wrong idea. "This dress weighs a ton."

"All wedding dresses do," Irene said cheerfully. "Here, let me put your necklace on you. I made it special."

"You didn't have t-"

"Grr. Let me put the necklace on you," Irene insisted cutely. "It's too perfect not to wear."

"Yes ma'am," Sabrina said, laughing nervously again and letting her settle the delicate gold pendant at her throat. It shimmered brilliantly, like an aurora borealis of the wedding colors, matching the earrings Sabrina already had on. It wasn't too overwhelming either, which she appreciated. "Thanks."

Daphne eyed Sabrina's hair, biting her lower lip. Then she smiled. "Puck's going to think you look fantabulous," she said with a grin. "I just know he won't be able to take his eyes off of you!"

"Shoulda eloped," Sabrina murmured under her breath, smoothing down the bodice of her dress with another shaky sigh. It fit like a glove, flaring out into the traditional princess style with a train that would take two people to carry. The train sparkled and flowed as if it had a mind of its own. "You look cute, Daphne."

Red grinned, fluffing the train a bit more. She and Daphne wore bridesmaid dresses; soft emerald green dresses with sheer pink at the sleeves and hem. Henry hadn't approved of the style because of the spaghetti straps, but the girls had won in the end. Cassia's version was just a princess dress in the correct color scheme.

Daphne blushed and smiled. "Thanks, I think these dresses turned out really nice, too," she said. "I'll make sure you get a pretty dress when you're my bridesmaid someday, Sabrina."

Snow smiled at Veronica. "Watch out, your second daughter is already planning her wedding," she teased, which made Daphne blush.

"I've made peace with it," Veronica joked. "Besides, Kerdy's a very sweet boy. Gerda should be proud."

"I am!" Gerda piped up, giving an excited bounce.

"Don't bounce!" Several people yelped at once.

"Gerda, I adore you very much," Sabrina said warily. "And my family does too. But if you go into labor while I'm trying to get married, I'll be very pissed."

"Oh don't worry," Gerda laughed, rubbing her belly. "I'm not due for a while. Little Christabelle is patient."

"Christabelle?" Red echoed.

"Do you like it? I think it's a girl," Gerda said fondly. "I knew a Christabelle once. I'm not sure how she spelled her name--she was an Everafter, of course."

"Donkeyskin?" Sabrina asked. At Veronica's surprised look, she scowled. "I've been studying."

"Ooo, can we call her Christy?" Daphne asked, beaming at Gerda. "Or Belle?" She gave an excited bounce of her own, which wasn't really a good idea in the dress she was wearing.

Then she looked at Sabrina. "Sabrina? Have you and Puck talked about kids yet?"

Sabrina coughed. "No, we're not talking about kids. We're not even thinking about them. Not for a long, LONG time."

"Aww! But Christy or Belle will need a playmate!" Gerda giggled.

"No," Sabrina and Veronica both answered in unison. Gerda drooped.

Snow touched Gerda's arm and smiled. "Michael will still be young enough by the time she's born," she said. "They could play together."

"Oh, that's true," Gerda said thoughtfully. "And Cassia. Right honey?" She beamed at Cassia, who was sitting on the vanity with her basket of flower petals.

Cassia looked up from her petals, and beamed. She had a petal balanced on her nose. How it got there, no one knew. "Kay! And Cory, too? Cory come too?"

"Of course!" Gerda gushed. "Oh, let's get Briar pregnant!"

She turned to look at the young married woman, who despite Jake's charming attitude about making children, had yet to get pregnant.

"Good God, Gerda," Sabrina laughed. "You have baby fever or something."

"Children can be sweet," Irene said fondly. "Curdy and I don't have any of our own yet, but I'm godmother to several."

Briar blushed at the sudden attention from Gerda, looking shy. "Ah...Jake and I are trying a lot..." Every time she got baby fever, they usually tried again. They would probably try again after the wedding.

"Give it time," Snow said with a smile to Irene and Briar. "They'll come when they'll come."

"Trying a lot. Gross," Sabrina muttered. "That's my uncle we're talking about."

"Sorry," Veronica shook her head with a laugh. "Gosh Sabrina. You're about to be married. I'm going to cry."

"Aw mom, don't cry," Sabrina yelped, shaking her head. It was too late. Veronica was getting emotional, wiping her eyes.

Briar went to her sister-in-law and touched her arm. "It'll be all right," she said with a smile. "AT least you know that she's marrying someone who will make her happy."

"I know she'll be happy," Veronica sniffled, wiping her eyes. "But she's my baby, Briar..."

Briar couldn't help it - she hugged Veronica. "There, there," she said soothingly, patting Veronica's back.

Daphne stared at her mother, then looked at her sister and Red. She wasn't quite sure how to take it when Veronica got like this.

Sabrina shook her head. There was no way to get around emotional family members.

Smiling, Red hugged Daphne. "She'll be okay," she promised.

"I hope so," Daphne whispered to Red. "I want everything to go absolutely perfect for Sabrina." It was just as important to her that her sister have a great wedding as it would be if she were having her own.

"Jeez, guys," Sabrina shook her head. "Gimme some time alone, kay? Come back when it's time to walk."

Veronica hugged her tight, kissing her cheek. "I love you honey."

"I love you too mom," Sabrina murmured, hugging her.

"Are you sure you want us all to go?" Daphne asked, looking at her. What if Sabrina's hair fell apart? Or her dress fell off? Or something else catastrophic happened?

It was a really good thing Daphne didn't think to say any of that out loud.

"I'm fine," Sabrina said with a laugh. "Go on. I'm getting married in like thirty minutes, I'm okay."

Snow picked up Cassia and smiled. "Let's give the bride some space," she said in understanding. "We'll be back in a bit, Sabrina."

"Yell if you need anything," Daphne said anxiously as she was herded towards the door.

Sabrina waved them all off. As soon as she was alone, she took a deep breath and sat in front of the vanity, looking in the mirror again. All of the worry hit her at once, making her swallow the lump in her throat. _'Don't cry,' _she told herself, biting her lip and tasting the sealing gloss that kept her lipstick perfect. _'If they have to redo my makeup, they'll kill me...'  
_

A few minutes after everyone had cleared out of the room and left Sabrina by herself, there came a quiet knock on the room's only door.

"Sabrina?" Henry's voice came through the wood. "It's Dad. May I come in?"

Sabrina looked up, confused. "Dad...? Yeah, sure... come in." Her breath hitched, making her words falter.

The door opened, and Henry stepped inside, a concerned look on his face. He'd caught the hitch in her words. "Sweetheart?"

She looked up for him, and for a moment, she seemed like a little girl again, wearing her mother's clothes and trying to be an adult. Her expression was downright vulnerable. "Hi, daddy."

Henry closed the door and crossed the room to her. he reached out and cupped her face gently in his hands. "Are you all right?" he asked gently.

Sabrina swallowed, eyes misting up. "I think so. I just started freaking out. If I ruin this makeup, Red and Daphne will kill me."

"Don't worry about the makeup," Henry said. "If they have to redo it then they have to redo it." He brushed a few pieces of hair from her face. "What's got you anxious?"

"I'm about to get married," Sabrina blurted out. "I mean, I love him, yeah--we've been to hell and back, ya know? But it just really _really _hit me that when I walk out that door, I'm going to be getting _married. _What if I'm too young? What if everything changes? What if Puck and I start fighting again and we change our minds about being married? We don't need to be married, I mean, plenty of people stay together without rings and vows and all that crap! Right?"

"Yes," Henry said with a nod, "plenty of people do. But I don't think you and Puck need to worry, Sabrina. It's been two years since Puck asked you the marry him, and he's stayed by your side the entire time, waiting patiently - and we both know he's not the most patient person. I doubt he'll change his mind even if you do fight for a bit. And you will fight. All couples do. It's normal."

She took a calming breath, then reached up and hugged him around the waist, resting her head against his chest. "Do you think I'm making the right choice?" she asked softly, her voice soft. His words were really affecting her.

Henry didn't even hesitate to answer. "Absolutely," he said seriously. "You and Puck, the two of you were meant for each other, Sabrina. I can see that clearly."

Sabrina took a deep, calming breath. Then she pulled back, wiping delicately at her eyes. "Thanks dad. I really needed to hear that."

Henry looked down at her and nodded. "When I heard that you'd asked everyone to give you some space, I couldn't help worrying...your mother got nervous before our wedding, too. I wasn't allowed to see her, but I found out after the fact."

Sabrina smiled, then took another deep breath. "Daddy... I can't believe I'm really getting married."

"Me, neither," Henry said. "A part of me wants you to stay my little girl forever."

He stepped back a little and looked at her. "And then I see you like this, and I can't help thinking you've grown up beautifully."

She felt her cheeks heating up again. "Don't make me blush," she joked, standing up. "Do I really look okay?"

"Yes," Henry said with a nod. "I don't know of anyone who could say otherwise."

Sabrina hugged him again. "Thanks, daddy. I'm okay now."

He placed a gentle kiss on top of her head. "That's my girl," he said. "Do you want me to give you some time now?"

"Yeah," Sabrina murmured, hugging him tighter for just a moment. When she pulled back, she was absolutely glowing with happiness. "I'm getting married, daddy."

"I know." Henry touched her cheek. "And I'm looking forward to being the one to walk you down the aisle. I'm so proud of you, sweetheart."

Sabrina wiped her eyes again. "You're really gonna make me cry," she whispered, sounding happy.

"Then I should remove myself before that happens," Henry said with a smile. "Just sit and try to relax some."

"Sure thing," Sabrina said with a grin. She pulled back, sitting down and smoothing her skirt. All the traces of fear or doubt were gone from her blue eyes. She was content.

Henry could see this, and it was with a smile that he left the room, certain that Sabrina _would_ be all right. Soon enough the wedding would start - he looked forward to Puck's reaction.

Within no time at all, Sabrina could hear the music starting. People were gathering, Snow was helping Cassia get ready to go out first, and her heart was racing wildly. Within no time at all, she'd be walking to Puck.

Her eyes went to her father as he came back to escort her. "Ready to give me away?" she asked softly.

Henry smiled at his daughter, and offered his arm to her. "I'll never be ready to give you away," he said, "but yes. It's time."

Sabrina grinned, taking his arm and moving closer. "Don't let me run away or trip," she teased him. "This dress weighs a ton."

"We'll go slow," Henry promised her. "Just hold on to me, and it'll all be fine."

Sabrina took a deep breath, watching Cassia disappear around the corner and through the doors. There were 'awwww's from the crowd as Cory walked with her, carrying the fluffy white pillow and ring. Cassia had a full basket of fresh rose petals to throw.

Cassia beamed at everyone, giving them her best adorable smile as she sprinkled the petals around. She was blushing prettily because she was walking next to Cory.

Daphne, standing in line with the bridesmaids and waiting for her turn to go down, turned a little and looked towards her sister with bright eyes. She caught Sabrina's eye, and smiled reassuringly at her.

Sabrina nodded to her--after all, Daphne was the first girl to go in. They had a small wedding party--Daphne with Mustardseed as the maid of honor and best man, and Red and Forse as a bridesmaid and groomsman. Kerdy had been originally been scheduled to walk with Red, but he'd declined for his brother and was now helping carry Sabrina's train instead, even though Titania had offered to hire cute children to do it.

The idea of hiring people to be in the wedding party creeped Sabrina out a bit.

Daphne grinned, then blew a kiss in Kerdy's direction. A moment later she was taking Mustardseed's arm, and the two of them were heading down the aisle as well, with Red and Forse a few paces behind them.

Red watched them go, then smiled at Forse. "Your brother's sweet for letting me walk with you. Shall we?"

Forse returned her smile. "It'll be my pleasure," he said with a nod, offering her his arm as well. He didn't even bother to hide the fact that he flirted with her on a regular basis - no one could ever say he wasn't interested.

Red took his arm, charmed.

"We're next," Sabrina whispered to Henry, trembling a little. "I'm gonna throw up."

"Pretend it's stage fright, and imagine the audience naked," Henry murmured to her, squeezing her arm. "You'll be all right. I'm right next to you."

"Dad, Puck's parents are in the audience. So is Peter Pan. And I bet Sinbad is in there too. Ugh."

Sabrina forced a grin to let him know she was joking, then swallowed her fear and turned to look at Kerdy. He gave her a reassuring smile.

Henry chuckled. "And Baba Yaga," he added in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Sabrina choked on a laughing snort, then swallowed it. "Don't do that."

The music reached the part that signaled their entrance, and she smiled. "Showtime."

"Don't trip," Kerdy teased.

"That's your job to prevent," Henry said to Kerdy. Then he looked at Sabrina, smiled, and nodded.

Together, they headed through the doors.

Sabrina tried to ignore the entirely too crowded room. Just how many people had Titania invited? Still, she knew Puck was waiting for her at the end of the aisle, and it was her job to make it to him without freaking out.

She smiled to make sure no one would see her anxiety, but the moment she caught sight of Puck, her breath caught. She no longer had to think about smiling or walking--her body moved towards him automatically, and the expression on her face was much more relaxed. After all, what did she have to worry about? It was Puck. She loved him.

***.*.*.*.***

While Sabrina had been nervously preparing to walk down the aisle, Puck had been standing ever-so-calmly at the altar, looking out at the vast room full of people. To any of them he looked as if this were natural, as if he got married every day.

He was fine with them thinking that. Better than them knowing he was shaking in his shoes. If he had to fake the confidence, so be it - he was pretty sure that was going to be the only thing that got him through this day.

When the organ music suddenly started, Puck gave a sudden jump. Was it really time already? It couldn't be. He'd barely gotten to the altar, there was no way everyone had been seated and they were ready to start. It was on the tip of his tongue for him to shout hold it, stop, time out!

But he didn't. And the doors swung open, and he watched as Cassia and Cory began to parade down the aisle, Cory proudly holding the pillow with the rings, and Cassia tossing her flower petals wherever she could. 'Awww's rose up from the crowd and the little girl blushed, eating up the attention.

Puck almost grinned, until he saw what was coming next. Bridesmaids and groomsmen. That wasn't good. That was a sign that time was going by way too fast. He wasn't ready for this. As Daphne and Mustardseed made their way down the aisle, and then Red and Forse, Puck swallowed hard and tried to look calm.

Mustardseed looked at him, and his eyes widened slightly. Puck looked almost greenish-white. That couldn't be even slightly happy.

Puck locked eyes with his for a moment, and then his gaze flickered to the door. The door, which now had two people in it - a man and a young woman dressed entirely in white.

And suddenly the nerves were gone.

Puck found himself staring into Sabrina's eyes, unable to take his eyes away from her. Oh, he knew she was beautiful. No one had to tell him that. He just hadn't been prepared for the sight of her coming towards him, in her wedding gown, ready to marry _him_.

Wow.

Sabrina couldn't help but grin at the look on Puck's face. If anyone had told her that before she'd walked in, he looked like a nervous wreck, she wouldn't have believed them. He looked cocky and awestruck at the same time, and completely in love with her. She couldn't believe it at all.

She barely heard the music, practically floating down the aisle on her father's arm towards the fairyboy she'd been in love with for so long.

She ignored her mother's tearful eyes, the envious stares, and the approving nods--none of them mattered at all. Just Puck, who looked as in love with her as she was with him.

Wow.

Henry smiled gently as he walked Sabrina down the aisle, doing his best not to look at his wife - if he caught Veronica's eye, he was going to end up crying right there. And he'd resolved to keep a dry eye at least until he had taken his seat.

Once they had reached the altar, Henry turned towards Sabrina and prepared to lift her veil so that he could kiss her cheek.

"Well?" an impatient voice cut in suddenly. "Can I have her now?"

Even the organ player halted.

"Huh?" Sabrina had turned to look at her father, but now she was looking through her veil at Puck. The veil was incredibly thin and see-through, the edges gently embroidered with lace and silver thread.

Kerdy tried not to fall in the floor--it wouldn't do any good to roll on Sabrina's train while he laughed. "Puck," he said, trying to keep his voice hushed. "When the bride's father gives her away, it's more of a symbolic thing, not ownership..."

Puck looked confused. "What do you mean?" he asked. "What's symbolic about it?" He looked back at Henry and Sabrina. "I want her now. Can I have her?"

Sabrina snorted in a very unladylike manner, then started laughing, nearly dropping her bouquet. "Daddy," she managed between giggles. "Go ahead and give me away before I fall down."

She couldn't help it. Puck was unbelievably cute, and she just loved him even more for it.

Henry shook his head in amusement, then pulled back her veil and leaned in to kiss her cheek gently.

Then he took her hand and moved it to Puck's. The fairy reached out and caught it, her hand warm in his and an eager look on his face.

Sabrina tried to fight back the blush on her cheeks when her hand settled in Puck's, but she couldn't hide it. "Thanks daddy," she whispered, blinking back happy tears as he moved to take his place by Veronica.

A grin blossomed onto Puck's face as he stared at Sabrina. He looked not unlike a kid in a candy store who had just been told he could have all the candy he wanted. Now that he was holding Sabrina's hand, he completely ignored everyone else around him.

Sabrina felt the exact same way. She didn't hear any of the words until it was being announced that they'd written their own vows. She found herself blushing again, remembering that Puck had given his vows already. Did he intend to repeat them, have new ones...? The question in her eyes was easy to read. What was he going to say?

Puck looked at Sabrina, seeing that she was waiting for him to speak, and rather nervously. Her thoughts were clear.

He grinned wickedly. "You first," he said, drawing out the suspense of whether or not he had anything more to say for his vows.

"Jerk," Sabrina laughed softly, squeezing his hand twice. "You suck." Another two squeezes.

She took a deep breath, cutting him off before he could respond and side track her. "Okay, I'll go first."

"Puck, we've been together for a long time now. It was hate at first sight because we were too young to recognize love, if you ask me. If anyone had told me then that I would fall in love with that dirty, immature little boy who liked to torment me and pull pranks on me every day, I would have punched them in the gut."

She closed her eyes. "I can't believe they would have been right. I can't believe how long it took us both to realize it, either. It should have been obvious. Even my little sister knew it, if you wanna count her. She had her head in the clouds with romance anyway."

Opening her eyes, Sabrina smiled at Puck, trying not to get choked up. "I can't believe the promise we made when we were young is going to last forever. I can't believe we're finally here at the altar, about to be married for real. I can't believe how sweet your vows were at our rehearsal dinner, and I can't believe I get to be with you forever. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world, and I can't believe how good that feeling is."

"I know there's a lot of stuff I say I can't believe. I can't believe I'm actually saying all of this in front of so many people, I can't believe I packed one of those dorky love-confession t-shirts from middle school for our honeymoon, I can't believe you made me say my vows first, I can't believe we had our first kiss when I was only eleven, and I can't believe how horrible the setting was, or that I punched you in the gut..."

She trailed off, swallowing as happy tears welled up and slid delicately down each cheek. "I can't believe... I do."

Puck had started out with a huge grin in response to her, but by the time she was done talking his expression had sobered until it was entirely seriously. He swallowed hard, unable to hide the lump that had started to grow in his throat. Kerdy had been right about her vows. Completely right.

Sabrina squeezed his hand once. "I love you. Your turn."

Puck squeezed her hand back, staring straight into her eyes.

He took a deep breath.

And spoke.

"No matter what, Grimm. I do."

Sabrina laughed through her tears, ignoring the murmurs and flashes of photography. She pulled Puck close and kissed him, vaguely hearing them being pronounced Man and Wife. So what if they hadn't waited for permission to kiss the bride?

Kerdy applauded their kiss--and he wasn't the only one. Several people were standing up to clap.

Daphne was clapping and bouncing at the same time as Puck's arms went immediately around Sabrina, the kiss being delivered tenfold. It was pretty obvious that he was completely ignoring everyone else for the sake of the girl in his arms.

When the kiss finally broke, Sabrina was fully crying again, too happy to keep it inside. They barely managed to get the rings from a giggling Cory and a grinning Mustardseed, pausing in their embracing to get them on her finger, and Puck's ring on him. Once they had that part over with, she threw her arms around Puck and held tightly, the bouquet nearly falling from her hands.

Puck kissed the top of her head. "We finally did it," he murmured to her amidst the tears and cheers of their wedding guests. "You and me."

"I can't believe it," she laughed softly in his arms. "We're actually married, Puck!"

"C'mon, you lovebirds have to get to the reception," Kerdy teased, moving to Daphne and hugging her. "Just a few more hours and you get to escape to your Honeymoon."

Daphne squealed and hugged Kerdy, bouncing up and down excitedly. "Let's go, let's go!" she said, looking at Sabrina and Puck.

Puck grinned. "I think we better before your sister bounces away."

"Yeah yeah," Sabrina pulled back and grinned. They had to leave first, after all.

***.*.*.*.***

"One, this dress is awesome and I'm glad the train came off so I can use it for the reception. Two, who decided throwing rice at the married couple is a good idea?" Sabrina picked another piece of rice out of her veil while they made their way to the table for the wedding party to sit at.

The reception was being held at a grand ballroom. Titania had gone overboard on the decorations and expenses.

Puck grinned. "I think Mom would say it's tradition. I think most of this is tradition. Whose tradition I don't have a clue, but apparently it's all tradition. I think she combined cultures."

Sabrina rolled her eyes. "I hate tradition. So. Think I should throw the bouquet at my sister and make Kerdy blush, or nail Red with it and turn Forse into a stammering idiot?"

"Can you split it in two?" Puck asked. "I'd pay money to see both."

"...Genius," Sabrina murmured, quickly trying to do just that. She managed to snap it in half pretty well. "Okay, I'll pretend it's whole when I throw it."

Puck grinned. "I can't wait to see how well you manage to aim," he said. Red and Daphne wouldn't be the only ones vying for it, but he trusted Sabrina.

"I'll be your slave for a week on the honeymoon if I miss--you be mine if I don't," Sabrina challenged.

"Deal," Puck said with a grin. "I'm not entirely sure which would be better." He winked at her.

"Dork," Sabrina murmured, smiling at him. "I hope I don't look like an idiot when we dance."

She couldn't help but lean her head on his shoulder for a moment. "Just a few more hours, and this'll all be over. We can get outta here and start 'forever'."

"We've been waiting for forever for a long time, haven't we?" Puck asked with a grin, his arm going around her waist.

"Psh. Seven years isn't that long considering how old you are and we can be," she teased him. "Sure feels like it, though."

"Time is relative," Puck said with a nod, sounding very wise for a moment. He ruined it when he grinned again. "That's something Mustardseed told me. Not quite sure what he meant by it. He wouldn't tell me."

Sabrina laughed again. "I hope I'm not tired of you in the next five thousand years," she joked. "Because you could drive me crazy. And not in a good way."

"Nonsense," Puck said. "I only drive you crazy in the best ways possible."

She kissed him once. "No comment."

With a grin, she moved to sit down fully at the table, watching the guests come in and sit at their tables. Red and Forse were nowhere to be seen.

"Everyone looks like they're having a good time," Puck commented, settling himself into the seat next to her. "Good. Maybe we can sneak out and no one will notice."

"We can handle a few more hours with our family and friends," Sabrina admonished. "Besides, we don't have any responsibilities now. I was thinking we could take two years off before going to college, so our honeymoon could last for quite a while. We could travel the world like Granny did."

Puck looked at her for a moment, and then reached for her hand. He squeezed it. "I'd like that," he said, suddenly serious. "The last time I went around the world was without you, and I'd rather not do that again."

Sabrina's cheeks flushed. "I forgot you did a world tour while I was playin' the ghost at Peter's house. I'm sorry about that."

"Don't be," Puck said. "Thanks to it I already know there are a lot of places I want to take you. We'll have a great time."

"Where's the first place you want to take me?" Sabrina asked curiously, cocking her head to the side. "We're doing Hawaii still for the honeymoon, right? Right?"

"Absolutely," Puck said with a nod. "Hawaii. Then I thought maybe we could start heading around the world. Australia's great. Warm, but great. And Japan's not far from there. After that we can go do China, maybe India, and Russia. During the summer, though, no Russian winters."

"And who's translating for us?" Sabrina teased.

Puck grinned slowly. Then he leaned over, put his mouth close to her ear, and murmured something quietly to her.

Sabrina's entire face went bright red, heart racing. When he pulled back, she looked a little dumbstruck. "You learned French?"

Puck pulled back and grinned wickedly. "Oh, I'm just full of surprises," he said. "I spent a few weeks in France during my search."

Sabrina's blush got even worse. "How many languages did you learn?"

"Mm...a few here, a few there," Puck said. "If I was in an area that had multiple languages I only learned one, but I studied enough to be able to converse wherever I went." He grinned. "You did say you thought foreign languages were hot."

Sabrina sputtered. "I-I was like twelve when I told you that!"

"So?" Puck's grinned widened. "Is it any less true now?"

"If my wings pop out and mess up my dress, I'm going to kill you," she hissed in answer, totally embarrassed.

"Wasn't your dress designed to anticipate such a possibility?" Puck asked innocently. "I know I asked your mother to make sure."

"Gonna hurt you," Sabrina whispered, ducking her head and checking her back with one hand, just in case. Her wings did not pop out.

"Aw, you love me," Puck teased. "That's why you're Mrs. Puck now."

She looked up at him, eyes shining a little. "I guess that's true." She leaned in and kissed him again, ignoring the cheers as more friends and family filtered in. Jake was catcalling them.

"Can I hurt your uncle?" Puck murmured against her mouth, as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back.

"No, I like my uncle," she mumbled, breaking the kiss after a moment. They didn't get another chance to run away and kiss after that--they were goaded to sit still in their seats while speeches started and music began to play.

Henry and Veronica were called up to dance, and then Oberon and Titania. It was obvious which of the pairs had more skill and grace. Veronica had to stop Henry from tripping twice. Titania looked like she'd just waltzed out of a medieval ballroom. Due to how clumsy Sabrina knew her family was, she'd declined a formal dance with her dad, promising they could have a dance when everyone was out, and no spotlight had to be on them.

When Puck and Sabrina were called, she took his hand, waiting for him to lead her. The music was switching now, slowing and becoming more romantic.

Puck's expression turned soft as the lighting in the room dimmed a bit to match the music. He rose to his feet and led her from her seat onto the dance floor.

It was obvious within moments that Puck, for all of his attitude and jokes and obnoxious behavior, took after his parents when it came to the dance floor.

Sabrina closed her eyes, resting her head on Puck's shoulder as the dance began. She felt utterly safe and happy, not caring at all that photographers were snapping her picture and that everyone she'd ever met seemed to be at the wedding. She just focused on the feel of Puck's arms.

She felt like all of the struggling and tears that had gone into getting them to this very dance were sliding away, buried forever in the past. She would never again question whether or not she loved Puck, or whether their promise was forever. She would never again worry about being betrayed.

Her eyes fluttered open, finding the hand that rest on his shoulder near her face. Her bracelet, though not matching the dress, was still there, and always would be.

Puck tightened his arms around her waist as he slowly turned her on the dance floor. Although the tux he was wearing had long sleeves that hid it, his own bracelet was still around his wrist. It was a symbol of their relationship, of who they were and where they stood.

Everything they'd gone through had been leading up to this moment - and it was utterly, and completely, perfect.  
_  
__No matter what you say, Or what you do  
I'm always gonna love you  
The way you smile,  
The way you laugh  
I can't believe it,  
But these are the best moments of my life  
I lent you my heart  
But you forgot to give it back  
And I'm perfectly fine with that.  
Cause no matter what you say or do  
I'm never gonna stop lovin' you  
We've been to the end of the world and back  
And my feelings for you have never changed  
I love you baby  
No matter what baby  
To the end of the world and back  
I lent you my heart  
But you forgot to give it back  
And I'm perfectly fine with that.  
Cause no matter what you say or do  
I'm never gonna stop lovin' you  
To the end of the world and back  
No matter  
I love you  
No matter what I love you!  
Lookin' deep into your eyes  
I see our future shining there  
Cause we're gonna rock this world  
From the front to the back  
We'll paint this place bright red  
We'll never forget  
Always in debt  
To our promise  
No matter what you say or do  
I'm always gonna love you  
The way you smile, the way you laugh  
I can't believe it  
But these are the moments I'm gonna remember  
A hundred years from now  
I lent you my heart  
But you forgot to give it back  
And I'm perfectly fine with that.  
Cause no matter what you say or do  
I'm never gonna stop lovin' you  
To the end of the world and back…_

As the song came to a close, Sabrina found herself leaning up to kiss Puck again, sighing with happiness. The rest of the reception didn't matter. Not the congratulations from her friends and family, not the satisfying moment of Kerdy finding Red and Forse making out in a corner, and not even Klarissa personally apologizing with Daphne-approved sincerity.

Soon enough, Sabrina and Puck were rushing from the reception to get to the airport, shouting promises to keep in touch and to call often. When they got in the car, Sabrina pulled her dress around her to keep it clean, grinning at Puck. She was letting him drive. "I believe you have to be my slave for a week now since I succeeded in nailing them both with the bouquet?"

Puck grinned. "Do I, now?" he teased. "And just what would you have me do as my first slave order, O Mistress?"

He started up the car, his eyes bright and dancing.

"Kiss me," Sabrina said, eyes shining. "And make it a good one."

"As you wish."

He left the car in park and leaned over, closing his eyes as he sealed his lips against hers in a heart-stopped, body-melting kiss.

Sabrina felt like a puddle of goo when the kiss stopped, breathless and shy. "Wow."

She shifted to lean against his shoulder, snuggling there to prepare for the drive.

"Hey Puck?" she asked, sounding merely curious.

"Yeah?" he asked, putting the car into drive and starting off. He turned his head slightly towards her, smiling.

"What do you think we should name our first kid?"

Puck almost hit the gas, but stopped himself in time. "Our first kid?" he squeaked. "Name him?" He hadn't thought that far ahead.

Sabrina laughed. "Got ya."

His cheeks turned red. "You little...you did that on purpose, what if I'd crashed the car?"

"We're Everafters, we can take it," she teased, poking him.

"Yeah, but the car wouldn't have," Puck reminded her. "And we like this car."

"Right. It's my car. But," Sabrina said. "We have forever to get new cars. And we both have wings."

"This is true." Puck suddenly grinned. "Here's a thought. So will our kid."

"..." Sabrina blushed. It had started as a joke, but... "A little you? With little wings? Oh. my. god."

"Is that an oh my god of cuteness, or an oh my god of panic?" Puck asked with a laugh.

"So help me God, Puck..." Sabrina grinned. "One day, we're making a baby. And it had better have wings. I'll be so pissed at you if our kid doesn't have wings. Oh my god. Little wings. Kee!" She squeaked, feeling giddy.

Puck chuckled. "I think it's a pretty safe bet our kid'll have wings," he said. "But on the off chance...I'll have cardboard and superglue nearby."

"No, but you can explain to our kid's therapist when he's a teenager why his mother made him wear Halloween fairy wings," Sabrina said, smirking.

"Wow, you wouldn't." Puck blinked. "You would. You're that evil."

She laughed again, closing her eyes. "Wake me up when we get there. I love you, Puck."

Puck looked over at the road, and he couldn't stop the grin from spreading across his face. He felt content - she was the only person who could ever make him feel this good. "Love you, too, Sabrina," he murmured.

She drifted off to sleep with a content smile on her face. She'd had the best day of her life, and she knew it was only going to get better from there.

It almost felt like the end to know that they'd come so far and been through so many things, to finally reach their marriage and start their lives...

They had the world to explore, and all the time they needed to do anything they'd ever wanted. There would never be an 'end' for them.

***.*.*.*.***

**Sky:** And there ya have it :) The end of No Matter What. We sincerely hope you enjoyed our epic fic. Sorry if there are typos, I'm very sleepy and I'm working 80+ hours a week X.x Ayns is working a lot too. But blah! Story done!

**Ayns:** And we hope that you keep reading it even though it's done! I'm a firm believer in a good story being the kind that you can read over and over again.

**Sky:** yar ^^ next, our one-shots! And who knows, maybe another epicfic in the future!

**Ayns:** Perhaps, perhaps. Maybe not for Sisters Grimm, though. It'd be hard to top NMW. Then again...well, I guess we'll just have to see what happens later in the series that we might feel the need to play with!

**Sky:** *evil glinting grin of doom towards Ayns* :D

**Ayns:** Oh dear... Hey, Sky? If we do another SG epicfic...can Baby Grimm always be Cory? Please?

**Sky:** SCREW THE NAME 'BASIL'!

**Ayns:** AMEN!

**Sky:** Bye! (for now!)


	41. Epilogue

**A/N:**

**Sky:** Hi everyone ^^ This is going to be the final chapter/update for No Matter What. I thought it would be fitting to upload it on the one year anniversary of when I posted the first chapter. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NO MATTER WHAT! XD

We've had a great experience with this story being the first one Ayns and I have ever shared with the fanfic world. Unfortunately, it'll be a while before we do another epicfic together (at least for the Sisters Grimm section) it looks like, so we really hope you enjoy this fic to the fullest.

**That bein' said, I wanna give a special thanks to Ayns for writing this with me. She won't be writing the epilogue, so I'm dedicating it to her. Love ya, Ayns^^**

At the end of this chapter, I'll have the thanks and dedications to the fans who reviewed and sent us messages. Every single one of them :D It's gonna be a long A/N at the bottom.

_***.*.*.*.***_

_**No Matter What**_

_**Epilogue**_

_***.*.*.*.***_

The little boy scrunched his face up in concentration, both hands gripping the very real sword he trained with. At ten, he was already capable with a dagger and throwing knives. While his father encouraged he learn defensive skills first, his mother would prefer he go play like a normal boy.

They both respected his decision however, and the teacher who promised not to let him get hurt while he trained. Everyone knew the name of Sabrina Grimm, after all. She was a famous detective and a fighter for justice alongside her husband, Puck. The two of them had spent over a hundred years traveling the world and helping humans and Everafters alike. They'd only just recently settled down.

"Grr…" the boy lifted the sword with both hands, then brought it down clumsily at his target. Though the boy was usually well-mannered and sweet, he was also impatient and often broke the number one rule his teacher had put in place.

No using sharp weapons without supervision.

"Will Charming, I can't believe you're using your sword without someone watching you."

Will jumped a mile, yelping and dropping his weapon as if it burned. He whirled around to stare at the disapproving expression on his teacher's face while she hovered over him.

Her dark green wings were beating quickly, but silently, and her long blonde hair was pulled back in a braid to keep it off her face. As always, she was dressed casually in a pair of comfy jeans and a long-sleeved shirt.

"M-Miss Sabrina!" Will flailed his arms. "I-I-I um…"

She landed, crossing her arms over her chest. "You what?"

"…I'm sorry," Will said, bowing his head in shame. "I should have waited for you. But you don't come by as often anymore, and I still want to learn so I can impress Miss Goldie!"

"Impress Miss Goldie, huh?" Sabrina pulled a wooden sword from the sheath on her back, tapping him on the nose with it. "Aren't you a bit young to be impressing Goldilocks?"

Will blushed, scrunching his face up. "Miss Sabrina! She said only a man who impressed her can marry her daughter!"

"Oh, this is about Sadie, is it?" Sabrina grinned. "Good. She's closer to your age. But didn't I tell you if you only wanted to learn these skills so you could impress girls, I'd stop teaching you?"

"Miss Sabrina!" Will protested. "I want to be strong and protect people, like you do! Like Mister Puck! One day, when I grow up bigger and stronger, I'll be able to fight for justice like you!"

"You make me sound like I'm Sailor Moon or something," Sabrina laughed.

"Sailor what?"

"…Nevermind. Friggin young people," Sabrina shook her head. "Well, pick up your sword then, and we can start."

Will hurried to scoop the sword up, his short black hair falling into his eyes.

"So how long have you been crushing on Goldie's daughter, anyway?" Sabrina asked, twirling her sword.

"Miss Sabrina!" Will stomped his foot. "Sadie is not just someone to crush on! She is a lady, and she has always had my heart!"

Sabrina snorted, covering her mouth with her hand. "You young people. It's adorable. Have you tried asking Sadie's father for permission to court his daughter?"

"Miss Goldie is always there when I try to ask, and they only pay attention to each other," Will said, blushing.

"Okay. Have you asked Sadie?"

Will's face became a solid red color, mouth firmly shut.

"Ah, you haven't even told Sadie you liked her yet," Sabrina said. "Well, don't worry. I won't spoil the surprise."

"Th-thank you," Will said, ducking his head.

Sabrina laughed again, then took her fighting stance. "I only have an hour, tops today. Let's get started."

"Why only an hour?" Will complained, getting into the defensive stance she'd taught him. "At this rate, I'm never gonna learn!"

"Patience, grasshopper," Sabrina joked. "Remember I have to share my attention. And Puck doesn't know I've snuck out yet."

She glanced into the distance with a knowing grin. "He'll find out soon enough."

Will stuck his tongue out a bit in concentration, then lunged while she was distracted, bringing his sword up for a critical blow.

Sabrina whirled around without any indication she'd known he had been attacking, blocking his strike with little effort. "What do I always tell you? Just because your opponent looks distracted doesn't mean they are. It's no excuse for being sloppy." On the word 'sloppy', she shoved her sword against his and knocked him back several feet.

While he stumbled, she darted forward and attacked, grinning when he just barely blocked her.

"I'm getting faster, Miss Sabrina!" Will insisted, nearly losing his footing. She still had superior strength.

"You are," Sabrina acknowledged. "But are you getting _better?" _

She pushed him to his limits as always, noting in her mind where he was getting stronger and what still needed work. By the time their sparring session was over, he lay on his back, arms splayed and hair tousled. He was breathing heavily while her sword rested right at his throat, pointed down at him. "Gotta respect the sword, Will," she said with a smile.

He made a face at her, then rolled onto his side to push himself up when she moved it out of the way. "I _am _getting better."

"You are," she said again. "But don't rush things, Will. We're hoping the world's gonna stay safe for a while longer, ya know? You don't have anything you need to fight for."

"Miss Sabrina, I always have something to fight for," Will declared. "My family and the honor of my loved ones."

"…" Sabrina turned away and hid a smile in her hand. He was so cute. "Well, yes you have things _worth _fighting for. But you shouldn't have to be fighting at all."

"I know," Will dug his foot into the ground. "But I want to be ready for it. We can't just rely on the grownups to save us all the time if something happens. Mister Puck said you were close to my age when you started to learn stuff like this… And I enjoy learning."

"I know, kiddo," Sabrina said, putting her hand on his shoulder. "That's why I'm teaching you."

A glimmer caught her eye suddenly, making her glance to her wrist. "Well, Puck's looking for me."

"How do you always know?" Will asked, pushing his hand through his hair and letting it fall right back into his eyes. "If you know when he's coming, why don't we go somewhere else to train so he doesn't interrupt?"

"Doesn't work like that," Sabrina said with a wry grin, looking back to him. "He knows how to find me, and it's not like I don't wanna be found. Would you hide from Sadie?"

Will shut his mouth, face red as he refused to answer again. "…"

"Thought so," Sabrina put the sword away, nodding to him to do the same. "I have a lot of jobs to do right now, Will. So be patient, okay? You don't need to rush yourself."

With a heavy sigh, he nodded. "Yes, Miss Sabrina." He picked his sword up, turning and heading back into the house to put it on the special rack he had set up for it in his room. Within moments of him going into the house, Sabrina felt a slight tug on her wrist. She turned just in time to see Puck land near her, scowling with his wrist up to show his bracelet.

"Sneaking out again, Grimm?" He asked with an irritated huff. His hair was windswept, some of it falling just over one green and playful eye.

"You still love me," she teased. "Besides, what's an hour or two without me? I'm sure he was an angel."

"THIS IS NOT AN ANGEL!" Puck grasped the bundle strapped to his chest, holding it up at her.

Big green eyes gazed through soft blonde bangs, cheeks chubby with that baby cuteness most infants had. He had a trickster's grin on his face, which he was trying to make look angelic, dimples showing. The little blue footie pajamas he wore were getting small on him, his pink wings fluttering behind him. As Puck held him toward Sabrina accusingly, he gave a big baby laugh and held his arms up. "Mama!"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Puck," Sabrina replied with a snicker, taking the baby from him and tucking him into her arms. "Riley's an angel."

"Riley, why are you only good for your mom?" Puck griped playfully, reaching into the bag at his side and taking out a teddy bear and blanket. The teddy bear had wings too, because Riley had cried nonstop until they'd put wings on his favorite playmate.

Riley smiled at Puck from Sabrina's arms, snuggling his face against her chest and neck. "Daddy," he said. "Mama is pretty!"

"I'm pretty too!" Puck huffed.

"I'm prettier," Sabrina teased, sticking her tongue out and cupping the back of Riley's head. "And I was giving Will his lesson. You know that."

"Tch." Puck scowled in the direction of the house. "I still haven't forgiven Will."

"Don't be a drama queen. This isn't even the same Will, you dork," Sabrina muttered, rolling her eyes. "And he's adorable."

"He lives in the mountains when there's a city and technology right over there," Puck gestured over his shoulder. "Maybe if he had more to do, he wouldn't be obsessed with learning how to swordfight."

"There's nothing wrong with living in the mountains," Sabrina said, tenderly gazing down at Riley. "Right, Riley?"

Riley stared up at her, then grinned and nodded in agreement, even though he wasn't sure of what she'd just said.

"Miss Sabrina!" Will came running out of the house, nearly tripping. "Are you leaving now?"

She turned to him and smiled. "Yep. Puck and Riley found me, so I'm gonna go with them now."

"Hi Riley," Will said, waving to the baby. Riley waved back, poking Sabrina in the eye.

Sabrina shifted Riley to her other arm. "Be good Will, okay? I'll see you tomorrow for another lesson."

"Okay!" Will looked up in determination. "I'll make sure I'm ready!"

"Maybe I'll help," Puck offered nonchalantly. "I need to see what you've learned."

"But Mister Puck, isn't Miss Sabrina better at swords?" Will asked innocently.

Puck twitched, looking to Sabrina. "Oh really?"

She laughed, suddenly letting her wings out and jumping into the air. "See ya!"

"Get back here!" Puck scowled, taking off after her. "You're not getting out of this quite so easily!"

"C'mon Riley, let's race daddy home!" Sabrina giggled, making sure she had a secure hold on him.

"Yay mama!" Riley cheered, having no clue what was going on. He only knew he was having fun.

When Sabrina landed at their home, she took a moment to pause and look around, grinning. What had started as a secret retreat was now a large and very well furnished home that spanned several huge trees. The field nearby served for the horses they bred—all descendants of her beloved Celeste. Riley thought the 'pretty ponies' were all his, and no one seemed to think he needed to be corrected. After all, he had a way with animals. And though he couldn't understand their thoughts and intentions the way his aunt Daphne could, he seemed to know when it was okay to grab or poke them without getting stomped on.

The guest house was actually on the ground level, built from the base up by both Puck and Sabrina. They'd built it back when they had just finished with their world tour honeymoon. It had been a very fun and irritating ordeal; they'd fought over everything, but kissed over more.

"Feeling nostalgic?"

Puck's voice was right in her ear, which made her cheeks flush and her arms tighten around Riley. "Don't sneak up on me."

He wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing a kiss to her neck. When Riley stared up at him cutely, he placed a kiss on the little boy's nose. "I didn't sneak up."

"Daddy din't," Riley insisted, giggling.

Sabrina snuggled herself back in his arms with a smile. "I wasn't being nostalgic, either. I was just thinking about how happy I am."

"I'm happy too, Grimm," Puck said, nuzzling her.

"Ya know, after being married for over a century, you'd think you could stop calling me that," Sabrina griped with a little smile.

"You'd think that, wouldn't you? But I love you just as much now as I did when we got married, and I called you Grimm then too. So what's the difference?"

She melted in his arms, blushing again. "At least you're still sweet."

Puck grinned, then focused on Riley, who was playing with a lock of Sabrina's hair. It had come free from her braid. "What's up, Riley?"

Riley paused, then smiled. "I wan… a brother!"

"Whoa whoa what?" Sabrina asked, looking down at him. "Where did this come from?"

Riley smiled his best 'I'm an angel' smile, which Sabrina was sure he'd gotten from Puck. "Aunt Daphne."

"…" Sabrina groaned. "Puck, do me a favor and remind me the next time we see Daphne and Kerdy… we're killing them."

"I can't believe they really named one of their kids 'Kerdy Jr'," Puck snickered.

"I think it got sentimental for them both," Sabrina agreed, shifting Riley again. "And it only took them three kids before they got to that name anyway. I don't even want to think about how many kids they plan on having now that the first batch have grown up."

"Well, Kerdy does take after Gerda and Kai," Puck said with a small laugh, hugging her tight. "But ya know, Sabrina. If you don't want to have any more kids right now, I'm fine with that. Riley's a handful, and I'm still not sure if I like sharing you yet."

"Puck-"

"But we could always practice," he said cheerfully.

She turned in his arms and playfully slapped him. "Pig. I'm holding your baby."

"You love it," Puck teased, rubbing his cheek. He gave her a quick kiss, then covered Riley's eyes and gave her a much better, longer kiss that made her melt.

Sabrina broke the kiss first, looking up through her lashes at him. "You're right. I do love it."

"Who wouldn't?" He gave a cocky grin, then removed his hand from Riley's eyes, letting the little boy see again.

"I misseded it," Riley sighed, looking cute. "Mama…"

Sabrina laughed, kissing Riley's head and flying up towards the tree house—rather, tree mansion. "C'mon Riley. Your daddy's being cute right now."

"I'm cute," Riley said knowingly. "I like mama best!"

"Hey!" Puck flew right after them, a teasingly hurt expression on his face. "What about me?"

"Daddy not best," Riley giggled.

"Ha," Sabrina stuck her tongue out. "Riley likes me better," she sang.

"Traitor," Puck teased his son. "Hey, why don't we teach him to do funny stuff to your sister?"

"Because as cute as he looks, he's your son, and if we teach him how to play pranks, he'll end up turning against us some day," Sabrina said simply.

"Oh. Yeah, that's true."

Sabrina landed on one of the many balconies, then held Riley up so she could look him in the eye. "Isn't that right?"

Riley nodded—he always agreed with his mother.

"I love you, Riley," Sabrina said warmly. "Why don't we go visit Grandma and Grandpa after lunch?"

"!" Riley flailed his little arms and legs, and even his wings. "Kay!"

Puck put a hand on Sabrina's shoulder, then kissed her cheek. He knew that she still missed Relda, even though it had been so long since the old woman had passed. She made sure Riley had a very close relationship with Henry and Veronica as a result. Riley had been all over the world—at least once a month, she'd take him on a short world tour to visit all of her friends and family. She cut down her visits to Jake after the still-charming-uncle had taught the boy how to hold girls' hands and tell them they were beautiful.

Sabrina didn't need her infant fairy son to be picking up chicks. All of Jake's sons had been charmers. What girl could resist?

After lunch, Sabrina got Riley cleaned up and ready to go out, tucking him into one arm and meeting Puck at the door. "Ready to go?"

He nodded. "Want me to carry Riley?"

"Nah, I got him," Sabrina said, smiling down at him. "Besides, he likes me better."

"Yeah yeah," Puck rolled his eyes. "You win this one. I get the next one."

"Dork," Sabrina laughed, looking at him with exasperation. "Riley loves us both. Right sweetie?"

Riley nodded earnestly, grabbing his stuffed bear and sticking one of the wings in his mouth to chew on.

"Aw. I know," Puck kissed Riley's head. "I'm just teasing."

"I know," Sabrina told him, grinning. "You're predictable."

They playfully bickered and teased each other for the entire trip to see her parents, not stopping even when Riley slept in a baby carrier on Puck's chest that night. He always fell asleep on the way home, and even the craziest flying (including Puck making loops and flying upside down once to prove he still could) wouldn't wake him.

He slept like a little angel while they put him in pajamas and set him in his bed, which was shaped like a crib to stop him from climbing out.

"Hey Sabrina?" Puck murmured, placing his hand over hers in the dim light while they watched Riley sleep.

"Yeah?" she asked, turning to look at him. They both had one hand on the crib railing now—their bracelets were touching.

"I'm glad we just have Riley right now. I mean, you were a pretty big handful when you were pregnant," Puck said, ducking her hand as she tried to smack his head. "But I was worried about you too. And I don't think we'd juggle kids the way your sister and Kerdy do… this is good right now."

She looked back to their son and smiled. "Yeah. This is good right now. If anything else happens, it happens, but there's no need to try and make another or avoid it either."

"Agreed," Puck said, moving to stand behind her and wrap his arms around her. "I'm glad I married you, Grimm."

"Right back at ya, Fairyboy," Sabrina said, her tone incredibly soft. "I love you."

"I love you too."

He turned her, bringing her lips to his in a sweet, intense kiss that filled them both with warmth. The passion and love would never be gone, would never fade away with time like so many other things. It would only grow stronger and more familiar.

***.*.*.*.***

**A/N: (AND HUGE DEDICATION)**

**Sky: **There you have it ^^ We've wanted to bring Riley in for a long time now, but we didn't want to rush the story either. The pic that inspired Riley for us is on deviantart; I'll try to get a link working so you can see it. Full credit to the artist ^^

Link: (with dots replaced so ffnet won't eat it) http:/xxdawnxofxrealityxx(dot)deviantart(dot)com/art/Sabrina-Needs-a-Tylenol-111005272

**Special thank you to all of the fans who've been with us since the very beginning. I** remember being nervous when I first posted the very first chapter, wondering if anyone would like it and if it was a mistake to share the RP that Ayns and I loved working on so much. I got so excited to receive 7 reviews, I worked hard and posted the next chapter almost immediately. Now, we get an average of 30-40 reviews per chapter (and even up past 50 on one of them!) and I'm still just amazed and thankful that so many people love our story.

Ayns and I really poured ourselves into this. Our dreams are to be published writers one day (solo and joint) and to know that so many people can love our work means a lot to us. Hopefully someday soon, we can tell all our fans and friends where to pick up our actual books :D

**We've received wonderful messages in our e-mail and through ffnet; as well as some reviews that really touched our hearts.** I couldn't stop smiling at the e-mail from Lara D, or the longer/emotional reviews from Viva-Musica, HoLlIwOoDbOuNd13, watermelonandpeantbutter, Lyla Domae, Tazzy, and Pearl4453. They spent a lot of time writing out all of the feelings they had for the story coming to an end, and we really enjoyed and appreciated it.  
**  
Though we haven't had a chance to read it yet, we saw that fernomina dedicated a story to us also—that's so sweet ^^ I'm sure when I get a chance, I'm going to love reading it.**

**ALL of our reviewers have made us really happy.** Even the people that had nothing good to say challenged us to be better or to become more passionate about continuing to the end. Trust me when I say Ayns and I have a hard time ending a story. We love writing things to go on and on forever, but No Matter What had reached that point where an ending was what it needed.

**I remember when the contest for the best SG fic came out and we got so excited to be nominated and mentioned. When we actually won, I remember doing a little dance because I was so happy. Since then, we've been nominated for many more contests, but have declined participating because we felt we'd already had our spotlight and we didn't want to compete with the other wonderful writers. Our goal was never to make it a competition; once was enough.**

At the time of NMW's birthday (May 25th) Ayns and I were put on the favorite authors list of 115 members, with an author alert of 69. NMW has 165 faves with 111 alerts, 4 C2s, and 1,487 reviews, with a total of almost 50,000 hits. Ayns and I are both extremely honored, considering how small the Sisters Grimm fansection is in comparison to other fandoms. This means so much to us, you guys. ^^

**Thank you so much to everyone who has ever given us a review. While I won't be able to include reviews received after I post this, Ayns and I will still have them and love each one.** **Here are the wonderful people who have given us 100 pages of reviews (in order!)**

**Curlscat, Julie Margaret, Dramaqueenruling, Schadenfreude62, Zombie Attacks, obsessedwithbooks, DarrenShanIsMine, Lumiere Nordiques, BoOkLuvEr303, pucky-ucky-wucky-bucky, BellaCullen8346, macncheese2424, lol, iD Sisters Grimm iD, Ascaisil, bobbie jo/chemicalsilver, Gaili Beron, HoLlIwOoDbOuNd13, silent-entrance, Hermione Grimm, Loodia154, DeDe, Gonna-Marry-A-TricksterKing, sydleberry, Alice Starr, ACertainPeantbutterSandwich, LivingBeyondReality, Samloves, Zeorzia, Tanglenight, Band Geek Letter 1, Tina, FaminaSG, msjezzi-bella, Twilight0, Blue-Eyed-Lily, RainbowofSmiles16, Mystical Moonstar, SnowsongIsAJaypawFan, Trickster Queen464, Bluestocking Inc, Sabrinagoodfellow, Coraline Lucy Puckett, Lyla Domae, Sophie, girl talk, Makesmithdiefan, Cindy, Viva-Musica, kelly, PrimaBallerina6583, Insert Lame Name Here, no one, PLEASE MAKE SAB LOVE PUCK AGAIN, Reality Bores Me, SilverGoldsun – NightAndDay, Amelia, Puck's Favourite Girl, princessofodd, emerald and onyx, minus your plus, Lara D, jabberwockyandthevorpalblade, ladedalada, BIGSisGrimmfan, Stark X Zoey, M Gleason, emaleelilac, amethystdolphin, MadHattressXX, Amanda, Puckabriina Lover, Aiden, Pixiewings00, Vianna, LovintheGrimmLife, Anonymous, Simply Pirate, MOLLy!, Natalie43, Grrrgirl1, redfirepixie318, hfdrhjvfdhg, rose angel 428, Harmony352, extraordinary#uno, Carly, graciecosmo, Person95, DragonFly(7312), SeekDreamsAndFindHope, Sara, Mrs. Sabrina Goodfellow, AF, Squiggles, GrimmGurl4Lyf3, candigrl1212, JulzAndKate, broken beyond repair, hihi!, CECI THE GREAT, Mystestar, ILoveGeorgeCooper, The 3rd Valkyrie, Summergirl172, Misz I don't have a name, gothicgal000, blueberry, -flying-dreaming-dancing-, Katy, Lilyflower-314, Sorry-NotValid, Skyprincess858, Taylor Wimbley, Erin, emerald rose, BookLoverAF, grimmgirl, Aquamarine Jazz, Grimmgirl667, wormybook, brii, Syd, amy, Grimmangel, Reader, pinkdisaster, book monster, Aynslesa **(reviewing my solo chapter ^^ Whee**), The Grimm Smiler :), Puck and Scipio rock, giggleguts, Alice Alee, one of your biggest fansLR, hate your story, knoxalot, Cookie-Dough-Always, girl genius, Chicgeek4ever, BrairRoseIsAwesome, Sabrina Grimm, Tlsk, Twilit-Demon Sarathena Knight, RockSuperstar, KittyPryde90, Laterose, randomly horny, thanx, Elena Forest, The Thrush That Can't Fly, missdean, mysterious13, sistersgrimmfan25, she wants to move, Jo, HI, dlt account please, thispresentdarkness, Hannah, random, Hypocrtically Her, America's Ham, Aisha, NotSoNormal, PoisonCrysell, fix ur story or else, mucho-gravy-o, Ryuks-Poizun-Apples, sasha, RANDOMNESS, blondeandshort, BigBooksRock, Tl, ohnoDK, justapenny4yourthoughts, cullen-grimm-ride, WelcomeToTheHimalayas, Alice Rose Winter, mindreadingweirdo, Lottie Grimm, gRRRLly and insane, Agrimmluverforever, can't tell u, maximumsuperiority, awesomeness14, iluvsummer95, devilshalo98, booksrmyworld4evah, Grimmfan54390, Mintshadow22, Par99ker, Squid Lips & Chocolate Ants, PeaceChick13, AHHHngela Alice likes PIE, pottergrl101, mary alice brandon, mrf18, Stella-TakeMeHome-, breakeyrlilhartn2, Snapping Turtle, moi, missdean, LittleMizWhimsical, watermelonandpeanutbutter, Anon Sare, blueberry c, pearl4453, Jessi5662Souza, Brooken Chooken, Mickey, iLOVEyouh, Layla's Lancaster, Katie, mila wellman, warriorcatShadowscar, pisofi, SilverWolf338, Charlytuna, danijazmyn23, plaincrazysuckup, SoledadSterlingxO, L0v3Hurtz, ellimac57, assassin girly, iza, I'm made of cheese, fernomina, Abby, fudgecrakerss, gracey, RandomPurpleBook, Mrs Malfoy-Lautner-Goode, Dreamgreen16, KENDRA1212, cheesiest cheese on mars, Cgreene, gallaghergrl, KatieDftw3, Underworldchic, angelduckii, princess Sabrina, pizzahut2000, soandso210, lol210, Imabookworm568, random, ninjacookiemonster (**Thank you for your story in reviews** ^^), reader, EmilyHelene, Cheeseontoast, XHarryxGinnyxloveX, Bigtimebooks, Bookwormgal666, LOVE, Zacefronanddylansprouselover, me make scary face now, feministgrimm, iizninja, Meghan, Tazzy, Cheesepantssquarebob, fatema Sabrina+Puck 4ever, SabrinaDaphne13, justatinybitconfused, Devon Eckert, gracey, Owl of Athens, IHeartPUCK/FANG/PERCY, ZoelovesPuck, jaimelah, Fan, Mr. and Mrs. Goodfellow, Emerythefrog, Princess Diana Artemis, carlycue, and booksonclouds. Booksonclouds, I totally lost your place **Sorry, I can't remember where you were in the order, but I know it was early on!  
**  
Another thank you to Tanglenight for writing the condensed parody version of NMW, and I'm sorry if I missed anyone or got the order wrong! After page 60 my eyes started to cross. Plus I'm at work and should be working… XD**(and I can't reply to reviews easily until I get my new computer ; ; )

MUCH LOVE, EVERYONE! THANK YOU ALL FOR A WONDERFUL YEAR!

Luvvies, Ayns and Sky


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